


Out of the Ashes

by InspectorBoxer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 04:05:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 90,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InspectorBoxer/pseuds/InspectorBoxer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The D.E.O. is destroyed in a vicious attack leaving the Danvers sisters shaken and the women they care for in danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A plot bunny got hold of me and wouldn't turn me loose until I started writing this one out. 
> 
> This story will feature both Cat/Kara and Alex/Lucy in equal measure. Some chapters will be more of one couple than the other. There is also a heavy dose of the Danvers sisters being awesome for each other. Alex and Lucy take the lead in chapter one, but never fear, Supercat fans, they'll be plenty Cat and Kara coming up.
> 
> This takes place after the season 1 finale. No mention of who was in the pod.
> 
> Hope you like it!

“I just need to finish up at the D.E.O. and I’ll be on my way.”

Kara shifted her phone to her other ear, smiling as she gathered up her things and left her office. “What do you want to watch? _Homeland_ , _Breaking Bad_ , or _Orphan Black_?” 

“Like you even have to ask,” Alex huffed. 

“Orphan Black it is,” Kara said on a laugh. She glanced at her watch, figuring she had about an hour to get home, order pizza, and change into her sweats without having to resort to super speed. A night in watching Netflix with her sister probably wouldn’t sound like an exciting Friday to most, but since James had returned to Metropolis, it sounded pretty damn good to her.

Out of habit, Kara glanced in the direction of Cat Grant’s office as she headed for the elevator, hesitating in surprise when she saw Cat’s balcony door propped open. 

“Do not start without me,” Alex warned her.

Distracted, Kara lingered for a moment next to the reception desk. “Then don’t be late.”

Alex made an insulted sound. “Rude. You’re so lucky I love you.”

“Likewise. See you in a little while.” Kara smirked as she hung up, cutting off whatever comeback Alex might have scrounged up as she continued to stare at Cat’s open door, hope and anticipation curling in her stomach. 

Cat had been out of the office the last three weeks, away on her yearly overseas visit to her European holdings. Even though they didn’t see each other as much now that Kara was no longer Cat’s assistant, Supergirl had been deprived of her weekly chats on Cat’s balcony, while Kara had longed for the all too rare lunch she and Cat occasionally shared in her new office. Their relationship had deepened the last few months into something that actually resembled friendship, and Kara hadn’t realized just how important, how necessary, Cat’s presence had become in her life until she was no longer there.

Kara hadn’t expected Cat back until Monday, but if she got to see the CEO a few days early then Kara decided that was an excellent way to start her weekend.

Making her way to the balcony, Kara glanced outside and an unbidden smile shaped her lips. Cat stood next to the rail, bourbon in hand, looking up at the moon and clouds as the city buzzed with life below. She looked tired but no less beautiful, and Kara guiltily enjoyed the sight of her profile for as long as she dared.

Doing the math, Kara realized Carter would likely be with his father this weekend, meaning Cat had come home to an empty house. No one to welcome her. No one to be glad she was back.

But Kara was glad. Probably a little too glad, some part of her whispered. Maybe she didn’t really count, but she suspected Cat wouldn’t mind knowing she’d been missed. She cleared her throat and Cat started before looking over at her in surprise.

“Kara,” Cat greeted, her voice startlingly warm and Kara soaked it up greedily. “Aren’t you millennials supposed to be out and about on a Friday night?”

Drifting closer, Kara shrugged. “Shouldn’t you be out with some hot, young actor or something?”

“Or something.” Cat regarded her for a moment, a slightly puzzled smile on her lips. Kara’s stomach fluttered nervously at the other woman’s perusal.

“How’s CatCo Europe?”

Cat stared at her for a moment longer, her frame losing some of its tension. “I missed you, too,” she said drolly. “So you can stop beating around the bush.”

A grin sprang to Kara’s lips before she could suppress it, the comment making her day, her whole week. “You did?”

“Don’t let it go to your head.” Cat strolled closer. “I also missed my driver and my housekeeper.”

Kara chuckled. A year ago this conversation would have been unthinkable, but now it was warm, familiar. “It’s good to have you back, Ms. Grant.”

Cat took a deep breath and tilted her head back, looking once more at the night sky. “It’s good to be…” Cat trailed off, her brow furrowing. “What in the hell is that?”

Kara glanced heavenward, frowning as a blinding beam of red light broke through the clouds, streaking over National City and striking somewhere out in the desert. A huge bloom of fire rose up toward the night sky, and Kara felt her heart stop when she realized exactly where that beam had landed.

_Alex._

****

Alex eased herself upright, wincing as sand and rubble spilled off her aching frame. Her ears were ringing and her lungs tickled with each particle-filled breath. Slumping against a rock, she wiggled her toes and fingers to make sure everything was intact and working and was relieved to find herself roughly in one piece. 

Coughing, Alex wiped at her burning eyes, studying the ruin around her. Her first thought was an earthquake, the epicenter practically under the D.E.O., but her mind dismissed the idea nearly as soon as it formed. She’d heard a whine right before the world had crumbled, the distinct sound of a not so distant explosion. The scent of ozone hung sharp and pungent in the air, and Alex wondered what enemy had managed to find them, what weapon they’d used to blast deep enough through earth and rock to cause this kind of damage. 

Lights flickered as the backup generators struggled to kick on. Alex slid her weapon from her holster, setting it next to her on the floor. Preparing for a ground assault was all she could do, but she doubted her handgun would be strong enough against a foe with a laser powerful enough to take out the D.E.O.. Feeling around in the relative darkness, she found her earpiece, wiping the dust off as best as she was able before slipping it on. She needed to get her bearings before trying to come to anyone’s rescue.

“This is Danvers, anybody read?”

Static crackled back at her and Alex tried not to give in to the edge of panic beginning to skate along her nerves. If she survived, others must have as well. 

“Director Henshaw, do you copy?” 

A bang in the general direction of the hallway made Alex twitch. She curled her fingers around the butt of her weapon, searching for an unobstructed path to what remained of the door in the brief flashes of light. 

“Hank?” She risked calling out, but only silence greeted her.

Licking her lips, Alex tasted dust and rock, and she winced as grit crunched between her teeth. Easing up onto her knees, unable to go any higher from the groaning steel beams keeping a few tons of rock from crushing her like a bug, Alex began to thread her way carefully toward the hall. Hopefully Kara knew what had happened, that she was on the way, maybe even already there and searching for survivors.

The thought had Alex pausing and checking her phone, but the screen was dark and shattered. Alex tossed it away. A soft moan carried to her then, filtering past the destruction and making Alex’s stomach go cold.

“Major Lane?” Alex wasn’t sure how she knew it was Lucy, but she began moving toward the door with more urgency, ducking and weaving around the debris, crawling when she had to. “Major?” she called again. “Talk to me!”

“Danvers?” Lucy’s voice was slurred and faint, and Alex’s heart began to pound double time. 

“Hold on. I’m coming to you.” Alex carefully moved a few big chunks of rock in her path, groaning with the effort, but they rolled away eventually, clearing a path for her to the hall. She had to belly crawl the rest of the way, finally shimming up through a hole and out onto a pile of rubble.

The lights nearly caught in full before sputtering again, giving Alex one glimpse of Lucy she was sure would be forever burned into her brain. Alex’s breath hitched, and the fear she’d managed to suppress until now finally swept through her strong enough to leave her quaking. 

Scrambling over rock and metal, scraping and bruising her hands and legs, Alex made it to Lucy’s side, confirming the situation was as dire as it had seemed from a distance. Bleeding and broken, Lucy struggled to breathe, pinned beneath the debris. Her pale green eyes tracked too slowly to Alex’s face.

“Major,” Alex whispered.

“Knew it was bad,” Lucy managed. “But the way you’re looking at me… apparently it’s worse… than I thought.”

Alex smiled grimly. “You’re going to be fine.” She refused to believe anything else. 

“And I thought Kara was… the bad liar.”

“Now that’s just insulting,” Alex drawled, determined to keep Lucy talking as she assessed the best way to free the other woman. “Nobody lies worse than my sister.”

A faint smile ghosted across Lucy’s lips, and Alex’s heart clenched in reaction. 

“What hurts?” 

“Can’t… really feel much. Just hard… to breathe. Hard to move.”

“Can you wiggle your toes?” Alex surprised herself by running her fingers through Lucy’s hair, easing it back off the other woman’s forehead. There was a gash near her temple that would explain the major’s blown pupils, but it was the injuries Alex couldn’t see that had her worried more. She swore inwardly. Lucy should have been off shift. She wasn’t even supposed to be there.

Lucy closed her eyes and swallowed. “Y...Yeah. Think so.”

Alex blew out a relieved breath. A loud clang echoed from somewhere deep in the remains of the facility and Alex hoped the distant sounds of people shouting were real and not her imagination. Wordlessly, Alex cried out for her sister, knowing she couldn’t free Lucy fully on her own.

“But… Alex…”

Alex’s sharp gaze jerked back to Lucy’s features, her stomach doing a backflip at the use of her first name. Any time Lucy used it, Alex felt like the nerd being noticed by the most beautiful, popular girl in school.

“I’m… losing a lot of blood.” Lucy motioned weakly in the direction of her right leg.

“Now you tell me.” Alex scrambled over her carefully, grabbing a flickering fluorescent light that had somehow managed to survive the destruction. She held it up, shining it as far back and under the debris pinning Lucy down as she could. Her jaw clenched when she saw flashes of red pooling across the floor, congealing slowly in the dust and dirt. 

The remaining beams above them, all that separated them from a few tons of rock, groaned ominously.

“That’s your cue, Danvers.”

“My cue to what?”

“Get out of here. Supergirl... will hopefully be along sooner rather than later.”

“You really think I’m going to leave you here?” Alex discarded the light before grabbing at the shoulder seam of her long sleeve shirt, pulling hard until it tore away as she ripped the fabric from her arm. “You don’t know me very well, Major.” She laid down on her side, scooting under the rubble to wrap her sleeve around Lucy’s bleeding leg. Alex couldn’t see well enough to know if the femoral artery had been nicked. If so, they didn’t have much time. 

“Would have liked to…” Lucy murmured softly. 

“That right?” Alex said as she slid back out, certain now she could hear voices coming closer. She was sure Lucy didn’t mean that the way it sounded. The woman had lost a lot of blood and had a head injury, but the revelation was something she could use to keep Lucy talking. Alex scooted closer, bracing her hands next to Lucy’s shoulders so she could look into her eyes.

Lucy gave her a sleepy smile. “Bet you could make me forget all about James.”

Alex swallowed. Blood loss or no, she’d never imagined Lucy extending an invitation like that. “Maybe when we get out of here we can find out.” It was a hell of a nice thought, Alex admitted. One she might have had a time or two before if she was being completely honest.

Lucy’s eyebrows arched subtly. “You... asking me out, Danvers?”

“Why not? Doubt you’ll remember any of this later anyway.”

Green eyes studied Alex in the flickering light, a soft smile on Lucy’s lips. “It’s a date,” she breathed.

It was a struggle to look away from those vivid eyes, but Alex managed, her stomach fluttering like mad. Carefully, she began to check Lucy for other injuries, moving smaller rocks and debris away as she was able. “So where do you want to go on this date?” she asked. When they were out of this mess, she was going to enjoy teasing the major about this.

“You asked me.”

Alex smiled faintly. “Okay. You like the beach?”

“Will I get to see you in a bikini?”

Future teasing would definitely be in order. Who would have guessed a little blood loss would turn Lucy Lane into a shameless flirt? Not that Lucy didn’t flirt. She did. With everybody, Alex mused. Just usually not with her and certainly not this blatantly.

“I was thinking more like dinner on the boardwalk. Maybe an evening stroll along the ocean.”

“Not bad.”

Alex huffed out an amused breath. “You are going to be so embarrassed if you remember any of this conversation.”

“You assume I’ll be alive to… remember.”

“Hey.” Alex shifted, moving away from Lucy’s pinned hips and legs to meet her gaze again. “Don’t talk like that. We’re going to get you out of here.”

Lucy swallowed convulsively, a tear slipping down one cheek, leaving a pink path through the grime and dirt on her features. 

“Lucy…” Alex breathed, her own chest tight with emotion. “You’re not dying. Not today.” Alex searched for the major’s hand, tangling their fingers and squeezing.

“I’m sorry… for Cadmus…”

“Stop it,” Alex insisted, unnerved. “I don’t need apologies from you. I need your stubbornness. I need you to fight.”

Lucy swallowed again. “Alex…”

“Kara is going to find us. Don’t disappoint her by dying on her. You know that sad puppy look she gets.”

Another tear spilled down Lucy’s cheek as she tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but a pained smile graced her lips. “That look is almost… as potent as her heat vision.”

“Damn right.” Alex watched her, hating to see this beautiful woman trapped, helpless. She tapped her earpiece again. “This is Danvers, does anybody read?”

More static crackled back at her and Alex sighed.

“Do you think… anyone else is alive?”

Alex took a slow breath, the rocks groaning again overhead. “I don’t know.”

“Alex…” Lucy squeezed her fingers. “Don’t make me order you to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Alex snapped, insulted. “Orders or not.”

“Those beams aren’t going to hold… those rocks back forever.”

“I don’t need forever. I just need long enough.”

Lucy scowled at her. “Who needs my stubbornness when we have yours?”

Alex grinned. “We’re getting you out of here, Major.”

Lucy swallowed, her pale green eyes intense as they stared back at Alex. “I almost believe that.”

“I live to show you up. Just you wait.”

Another flicker of a smile made Alex’s heart beat faster. She reluctantly moved back to the debris, carefully beginning to clear it once more. The thought of a night with Lucy, the beach, and the stars sounded like heaven, but before she had a prayer of making that a reality, Alex needed to get them out of hell first.

****

Lucy blinked her eyes open, wincing at the bright sun that filtered through the window and spilled across the foot of her hospital bed. Drugs floated happily in her system, leaving her in a thick and hazy daze. “Good stuff,” she proclaimed. 

A familiar chuckle drifted to her from her right and Lucy turned her head, spying Alex sitting in a chair next to the bed, an open book on her lap, forgotten.

“My hero,” Lucy greeted with a slur and a smile. “You did it.”

Alex shrugged. “Kara did it. She found us not long after you lost consciousness.”

“Yay for super sisters.”

Chuckling again, Alex smiled, but her eyes looked tired. “This… is a new side to you, Major. I think I like you when you’re high.”

“Mmm.” Lucy shifted, trying to get more comfortable. “That the only time you like me?”

Alex’s left eyebrow arched neatly, and Lucy wanted to run her finger over it. Alex had such a pretty, expressive face. And that jawline… Lucy licked her lips when she realized she was staring, some part of her brain still sober enough to recognize that a little propriety was in order.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Alex smiled, the expression endearingly shy. “How you feeling?”

“High,” Lucy confirmed. “I can’t even feel my face right now.”

“Yep. That’s the good stuff,” Alex agreed. 

“So what’s the damage?” Lucy cleared her throat and met Alex’s gaze, trying to focus.

“You’ve drifted in and out for a few days. Concussion. A few broken ribs.”

“My leg?” Lucy turned away from Alex reluctantly, making sure she still had both appendages.

“Still there,” Alex confirmed. “But a piece of metal sliced you up pretty good. A lot of muscle and tissue damage. You lost… you lost a lot of blood, Major.”

Lucy looked at Alex again, hearing a haunted edge to her voice. “Lucy.”

“What?” 

“I like it when you call me Lucy. Although Major sounds kinda sexy when you say it.” Lucy blinked, wondering if she’d actually said that out loud. When Alex glanced away, flustered, she assumed she did. “What about the D.E.O.?”

Alex lowered her head and released a slow breath. “Heavy casualties. The facility is destroyed.”

That sobered Lucy up almost instantly. She tried to sit up only to hiss with pain. Alex instantly stood, her hands gently gripping Lucy’s shoulders and easing her back onto the bed. 

“Take it easy. You’re in no condition.”

“Hank? Vasquez?” 

“Vasquez wasn’t there. Her sister was getting married.”

“And Hank?”

Alex swallowed, unwilling to meet her gaze now. “They’re still looking.”

“Alex.” Lucy fumbled for the other woman’s hand, gripped it hard. “You should be there.”

“There’s nothing I can do. I’m more useful here. Supergirl and Superman are searching for survivors, but it was a huge facility and some of it was lined with lead as a precaution against Kryptonians. Not to mention there’s kryptonite in there. Add in a few escaped and wounded prisoners on top of that…”

“My God.”

“And Kara has to go slow. She can’t just rush in there and start clearing debris. It could shift and collapse on someone.”

Lucy tried to absorb the magnitude of what Alex was telling her. Tried and failed.

“So… the good news is, you’ll have plenty of time to properly recover. The bad news is, we’re probably out of a job. At least for a while.”

Nodding, Lucy let her head sink further into the pillow. She was suddenly exhausted, from her injuries or the news, she didn’t know.

“You should rest,” Alex told her, and Lucy realized belatedly that she was still holding Alex’s hand. Reluctantly, she let it go.

“Am I out of the woods?”

“Yeah. Doctors hope to discharge you in another day or so. You’ll need one more surgery to repair some of the damage to your leg. You’re going to have a scar, but the plastic surgeon your father was talking to promised it would be minimal.”

“My dad is here?”

“He’s out at the D.E.O. site. ‘Supervising.’ Another reason I’m here and not there.”

“God. I’m sorry.”

Alex grinned, but Lucy ached at the fatigue and grief she could see in Alex’s eyes.

“And… your sister has been here.”

“Lois?” Lucy asked in shock. She might have expected a get well card and a balloon from her but that was about it.

“She’s actually at CatCo right now. Had a little work to do but she’ll be back.”

“Cat is letting Lois work at CatCo?”

“When Cat learned you’d been hurt, she made a one time exception. Said it was payback for saving her ass on that whole hacking thing.”

Lucy smiled grimly. “I’ll make you a deal, Danvers. I’ll get some rest if you do.”

“I’m fine right here…”

“Alex,” Lucy said softly. “Please. Go get some decent food. Take a hot bath. Get a few hours of sleep. You’re no use to me or anyone else if you’re about to fall over.”

Sighing, Alex finally nodded. “All right. I’ll be back tonight. If I hear anything about Hank, I’ll let you know.”

“Please do.”

Alex scooped up her book and headed for the door.

“Alex?”

The lanky agent turned in the doorway and Lucy drank in the sight of her for a long moment, relieved out of all the losses they’d endured, that Alex wasn’t one of them. Lucy couldn’t have endured that.

“Thanks for saving my life.”

Alex smiled thinly. “Had to prove you wrong.” She winked and then she was gone.

****


	2. Chapter 2

The damage was worse than she could have ever imagined.

Cat sifted through the photos of what remained of the D.E.O. The destruction had been nearly absolute, and Cat couldn’t help but wonder how many had perished. She wasn’t sure if her top photojournalist’s ability to get in and out of the site was a testament to his skills or unsettling proof that most, if not all, the lives inside had been lost.

There was a series of shots of Supergirl, of course. Kara had made hasty excuses to leave her presence after the laser had torn across the night sky and ended with an eruption of power in the desert. The excuses were nothing new, but the look in Kara’s eyes had been unsettlingly different. They’d burned with grief and terror, and Cat realized someone Kara loved, loved desperately, had been on the receiving end of that explosion.

Kara’s expression had been one of heart-wrenching anguish, and she’d been too shocked to try to mask it. Cat hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, especially when her reporter had delivered the photos. Taken twelve hours later, the sun beat down on Supergirl’s and Superman’s forms as they brought up the dead and wounded. How many of them had been Kara’s friends? Her allies?

Cat had been eager to corner the younger woman Monday morning only to find Kara had taken a week of vacation, her first in her two and a half years at CatCo. The temptation to reach out, to make sure Kara was alright, was preoccupying Cat to an unhealthy degree. She wanted to curse Kara’s name for making her worry.

But Cat wasn’t supposed to know about the D.E.O. She wasn’t supposed to know Kara Danvers was Supergirl. She wasn’t supposed to know Kara was likely going through hell right now. She understood, to a point, why Kara attempted to keep her in the dark about it all, and she’d played along, but now, knowing Kara was hurting, Cat was tempted to throw caution to the wind and upset the delicate balance they had with one another.

Sighing, Cat slid the pictures into her desk drawer. She’d destroyed the memory card, giving the photojournalist a nice raise to keep what he’d seen quiet. It was her role now, one Kara didn’t know she played, to be the keeper of the Kryptonian’s secrets. Usually, Cat played it gladly even though it was no small sacrifice to sit on the kinds of stories she had, but Kara was worth the price.

Kara was worth everything.

The sentimentality made her sigh. Movement in the bullpen caught Cat’s attention, and she sat up straighter as Lois Lane marched around CatCo like she owned it. A distraction was what she needed, Cat decided, and arguing with Lois Lane would do the trick.

****

Deep in dreams, the sensation crept up on Alex slowly. Intuition told her she was no longer alone, that her space had been infiltrated. Her eyes blinked open as she laid there in her bed, listening, checking that her sidearm was within arm’s reach on the nightstand.

The sun that had been streaming through the blinds when she’d collapsed had long since disappeared. Her bedroom was dark, only the weak orange glow from a street light providing any illumination. 

A slow, deep breath brought with it the aroma of food, Chinese if she wasn’t mistaken, and Alex’s stomach grumbled in response, having been denied a real meal for days. Soft footfalls came from the living room, the tread as familiar to her as her own, and Alex relaxed. 

The bedroom door creaked open, and Kara poked her head inside. “Hey,” she said quietly.

“Hey. How’d you know I was awake?”

“I was listening to your heartbeat.” Kara swallowed, and even in the low light, Alex felt a flicker of concern at her sister’s haggard appearance. She hadn’t seen Kara since Supergirl burst through the rocks to reach her and Lucy, but Alex could still remember the terror in Kara’s eyes, the way her sister had been shaking when she’d hugged Alex longer than usual. “You’ve been out for hours.”

Alex rolled all the way over onto her back and held out her arms, sensing she wasn’t the only one who could really use a hug. Kara padded across the room in a pair of Alex’s sweats and a t-shirt, her feet bare, to crawl on the bed and curl herself around her sister. She smelled like Alex’s soap, and Alex wondered if she’d slept through Kara showering in the next room. “You okay?”

Kara’s head bobbed in the affirmative where it rested under Alex’s chin. “Yeah. Just… so many bodies. So many friends lost.” 

Staring at the ceiling, Alex was almost afraid to ask the next question. “Hank?” she whispered, doing her best to brace herself for the worst.

Kara drew in a deep breath and lifted her head to stare down at her sister. “Kal-El found him,” she said with the barest trace of a smile.

“And?” 

“And Hank wanted me to tell you that you’re acting director and to start kicking everyone’s ass posthaste.”

A shudder ran through Alex’s frame, and Kara put her head back down on Alex’s shoulder, holding her tighter. “You knew he was too tough to die in there.”

Tears burned Alex’s eyes, tightened the back of her throat. “He’s okay?”

“Not… okay, but he will be, Alex. Kal-El took him to Metropolis, to some doctors he trusts.”

“Thank God.”

They rested in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Kara’s strong arms and welcome warmth began to lure Alex back toward sleep, but then she heard her sister sniffle.

“Who did this to us?” Kara murmured, her voice haunted.

Alex swallowed, hating to even think about what Kara was going through, losing yet another family. “I don’t know. No one has been able to give me a straight answer. Spent the whole morning at the hospital on the phone with Washington. They’re looking into some satellite thing or other. I should have more details by tomorrow morning.”

“You think it was Max?”

Giving the question the consideration it was due, Alex was quiet a moment. “It could be his tech, but I just can’t see him taking that many lives.”

“That many human lives, you mean.”

“Yeah,” Alex admitted. “But Kara, if Max decided to take you out, he would target you specifically, not the whole D.E.O.”

“When I saw the destruction…” Kara’s blue eyes filled with tears. “God, Alex. I thought you were…” Her jaw clenched. “If I find out who did this…”

“You’ll have to take a number after me,” Alex said gently. “Probably one after Lucy, too.”

“She okay?”

Alex nodded, a brief grin tugging at her lips. “She woke up this afternoon. Even flirted with me a little.”

Kara blinked once. Twice. “Flirted?” Her voice still sounded hoarse with tears, but an edge of curiosity had tiptoed in. 

“She flirted with me when we were trapped, too.”

“ _Lucy Lane_?”

Alex chuckled at Kara’s incredulity. “Is it so hard to believe someone who looks like Lucy Lane would flirt with me?” she asked with mock offense.

“No,” Kara groused, lightly smacking Alex in the stomach, “but I thought Lucy was straight.” 

“So did I. Apparently blood loss and good drugs make her a little gay.”

Kara smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “What did she say to you?”

“I think we agreed to a date at the beach when this was all over, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t remember any of that.” Alex pretended she didn’t feel disappointed at the thought. The idea of walking under the stars with Lucy’s hand in hers had motivated Alex to get them out of the rubble, had kept her from giving into fear and panic. Back in the cold light of day, it was a little crushing to know it would never happen.

“Oh.” Kara eased up further now, looking down at her sister. “So there was _mutual_ flirting.” She wiped distractedly at her drying tears.

“I had to keep her talking.” Alex eased upright herself, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and sitting up, wincing as her various aches and pains reminded her they were there.

“And there was _nothing_ else you could have chatted about?” 

“Kara.” Alex glanced at her sister over her shoulder, sensing where this line of questioning was going. “No.”

“Kara yes,” her sister answered instantly. “You two would be kind of hot together.”

“We would be very hot together,” Alex surprised herself with her answer, “but nothing is going to happen so drop it.”

“Alex…”

Pushing off the bed, Alex stood, stretching a little. “We’re not even friends.”

“Yes you are.”

“We’re friend _ly_. There’s a difference.” Alex peeled off her t-shirt, missing Kara’s gaze as it skittered away from the bruises liberally dotting Alex’s back. She went to her closet, grabbing one of any number of black polos and slipping it on before combing her hands through her hair. Peeking through the blinds, Alex frowned at how long she’d slept. She needed to get back to the hospital.

“Would you like to be… friend _lier_?”

Alex turned to glare at her sister, but she found an honestly curious expression waiting for her and she hesitated. “It’s not worth thinking about.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Maybe not one you want to hear.” Alex shucked off her cargo pants before grabbing a faded pair of jeans out of her dresser.

“Alex.”

Sighing, Alex faced her sister again as Kara got to her feet and drifted closer. She looked nothing like Supergirl, her confidence conspicuously missing and replaced with a weariness that worried Alex more than a little, but Kara was smiling encouragingly. The superhero might be MIA but her sister was all there, and for now, that was enough. 

“Do you like Lucy? Like that?” Kara wanted to know.

Alex struggled to formulate what should have been a simple, immediate response.

“You do,” Kara breathed. “Oh wow.” 

“No,” Alex said finally, grimacing when the word felt like a lie. “No. It’s… she’s attractive, okay? I admit that. I’d have to be blind not to see that, but… all we do is butt heads. We’re too competitive, and she’s a little too skilled at the whole arguing thing.”

“She’s a lawyer,” Kara reminded her as she watched Alex pull on her jeans.

“Add that as another check mark in the con column.” 

“What about the pro column?” Kara sat on the end of the bed as Alex sat in a chair and began to lace up her boots.

“What about it?”

Kara ticked off the list on her fingers. “Beautiful. Smart. Funny. Smells _amazing_ …”

“Kara…” Her sister wasn’t telling her anything Alex didn’t already know.

“I’m just saying… maybe you shouldn’t dismiss this so quickly, Alex.”

“I know you want me to be happy, but if you’re even thinking about playing matchmaker between me and Lucy Lane, stop now.”

Kara pouted. “But what if she remembers your ‘date?’ Then what?”

Alex hadn’t considered that possibility. As enticing as it was to think about, it was also scary as hell. “Then… we’ll see.”

****

Alex hung up her call, her seventh since leaving her apartment. She sighed and leaned back against the rear wall of the elevator, her mind spinning with an overload of information. Too many dead. Too many wounded. Too many secrets to still protect and not enough resources left for the job. 

“Maybe you should just turn that off,” Kara suggested. She’d changed into jeans and a light blue sweater, her hair swept back in a messy ponytail, and when Alex gave her a disgruntled look she adjusted her glasses. “Or not.”

“There’s no one else, Kara. There might not be much of the D.E.O. left at this point, but someone has to deal with the ashes.”

Kara looked stricken at the description. “We’ll rebuild, though. Won’t we?” she asked as the elevator doors parted and they stepped out onto Lucy’s floor.

Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. General Lane and his cronies have been pushing to take over for years. In the interim, there’s no one else. They get results and maybe Washington will listen to him.”

“I’m not working with General Lane.”

Alex shot her a look of surprise, unnerved by the sudden steel in Kara’s tone. “Kara…”

“No, Alex. He might be Lucy’s father, but I don’t trust him. I always expect a kryptonite knife in my back when he’s around.” Kara kept her voice low, but Alex still glanced around worriedly, making sure none of the handful of people in the hall heard them as they passed.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Kara insisted. “I’ll work for you but no one else until Hank is back.”

Alex reached out, letting her hand drift wordlessly down her sister’s back. Kara’s staunch faith in her might just be strong enough to get her through the hell that would be the next few days. And with Supergirl refusing to work with special forces, maybe the General wouldn’t get his way after all. “You saying I can order you around?” she teased lightly.

Kara made a face. “Don’t you do that anyway?”

Alex wanted to smile, but Kara’s blue eyes looked dull and tired. “Have you slept at all?”

“Yeah.” Kara swallowed audibly, but Alex knew there was something Kara wasn’t telling her. She could always tell when her sister wasn’t giving her the whole truth.

“You sure you’re up for this?” Alex grabbed Kara’s elbow, stopping them both in the hallway just shy of Lucy’s room. “You look like you’re about to drop.”

“It’s just been… just been a hard couple of days. Be nice to see a friend who is still breathing.”

Moving closer, Alex wrapped Kara in a quick hug. “I can’t imagine what search and rescue was like for you. I only had Lucy to deal with and that’s giving me nightmares.”

“Only because she’s your girlfriend,” Kara said under her breath, trying to lighten the mood for both their sakes.

“I hate you.”

Kara barely suppressed a weary smile as Alex pushed the partially open door aside. She frowned when she found the room dark and, as she moved further inside, her heart crawled up into her throat.

“Alex,” Kara whispered.

The room was empty, the bed neatly made, the scent of disinfectant sharp and pungent as Alex sucked down an uneven breath.

“Oh God,” Kara croaked, assuming the worst had befallen her friend.

Adrenaline mixed with equal parts terror and grief rushed through Alex’s body as she backed away from the bed, shaking her head in denial. Kara’s hands came down on her shoulders but Alex shook them off. “No. She’s…” Alex stumbled back, blinking away tears as she hurried to the nursing station down the hall. “Where is the woman that was in 708?” she demanded.

“Are you family?” the closest nurse asked primly.

Alex fished in her back pocket, pulling out her badge and making sure it displayed the needed credentials before slapping it on the counter. “I’m FBI. Don’t make me ask again.”

Another nurse took the badge and looked it over before handing it back to Alex who stuck it back in her pocket. “She was transferred about two hours ago.”

Shivering with relief, Alex needed a moment to get her emotions under control.

“Transferred where?” Kara asked, having followed, her hand now resting in wordless comfort on Alex’s back.

“Let me see.” The nurse sorted through a handful of files as Alex impatiently waited, resisting the desire to tear the folder out of the woman’s hands. “It doesn’t say, actually,” she said with a frown.

A pounding headache started behind Alex’s eyes. “Who took her?”

“Some men in military uniform,” the first nurse answered. “I’d seen one of them around the last few days.”

“General Lane,” Kara murmured, distaste dripping in her tone.

“Who signed the transfer order?” The nurse handed Alex the file and she looked at it herself, anger welling up inside her and threatening to blow when she saw the general’s signature. “Was the patient awake when she was wheeled out of here?” She couldn’t imagine Lucy agreeing to this willingly.

“No,” the second nurse said, her tone pinched. “She put up an awful fuss. The general had her sedated.”

Alex slammed the file closed and stormed off. She heard Kara toss a quick thank you to the nurses before hurrying to catch up, reaching her just as Alex smashed the elevator button.

“Oh my God, Alex. He kidnapped his own daughter.”

“I know.”

****

The room swam into focus slowly, drab colors against drab walls. Lucy willed her mind to work through the lingering fog of drugs as she tried to remember where she was, what had happened. Her brain seized on one detail, clinging to it ferociously. “Alex?” 

She tried to ease upright but her broken ribs were having none of it. Wincing in pain, Lucy dropped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening for any sign of the agent and hearing nothing but the drone of an air conditioner. 

She was alone.

The room she found herself in appeared to be some kind of studio apartment. One large room with a minimal kitchen, gym equipment, and her hospital bed. A door to a small bathroom was on her left. There were no windows. No indication as to the time of day.

Lucy noted the I.V. on her left, feeling the tube tug on the back of her hand as she tried to move her arm and realized with dawning horror that she was restrained. 

Then it came back to her in a rush. The hospital. Her father insisting that he was going to oversee her recovery far from the D.E.O., from Supergirl’s influence. They’d argued and she’d lost when he had her sedated against her will.

“Alex,” Lucy whispered this time, praying the agent wouldn’t just accept whatever cover story Lucy’s father was using to excuse her absence. If Alex wasn’t looking for her then no one was, and that was too frightening of a thought to contemplate.

A door opened to her right and Lucy craned her neck, trying to see who was there. 

“Oh good. You’re awake.” 

A forty-ish looking year old man came closer. Clad in light blue scrubs, he was the picture perfect doctor. Dark hair, a well-trimmed beard shot through with streaks of gray, and blue eyes that reminded Lucy distantly of Kara. He was handsome in a conventional way, and Lucy wondered if her father was actually ballsy enough to try to play matchmaker when she noted no wedding ring.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Dr. O’Bannon. I’ll be overseeing your recovery.”

“Where am I?” Lucy’s right wrist strained against the restraint. “Why am I restrained?”

The doctor set aside her file and began to loosen the padded leather cuff. “This was for your own safety. We didn’t want you waking up when you were alone and trying to stand.” He flashed her a crooked smile. 

Lucy calmed down marginally once her wrist was free, watching the doctor warily as he circled the bed to deal with the other restraint. “Where am I?” she asked again.

“You’re somewhere safe, Ms. Lane.”

“That’s Major Lane.”

“Of course. My apologies.”

Lucy massaged her wrists as the doctor stepped back, regarding her patiently. “I was brought here against my will, Doctor.”

“Your father was very clear that you don’t want to be here, but I promise you we’ll do everything possible to have you back up on your feet in no time.”

“Then give me a phone so I can call someone.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Lucy’s jaw clenched. “Want to tell me why?”

The doctor took a deep breath and sighed. “I was hoping your father would get to talk to you first. I’m afraid, Ms. Lane… Major,” he corrected quickly, “that whoever attacked your facility sent additional teams after the small handful of survivors.”

Lucy’s breath hitched, heart sinking. “No…” 

“I’m sorry, Major. Everyone you worked with at the D.E.O. is dead. You’re lucky your father moved you to this secret location in time.”

Unwilling to believe, unable to accept, Lucy shook her head. “Supergirl…” she started to argue. Kara would never let anything happen to Alex.

The doctor lowered his gaze. “I don’t know the particulars, only what your father has shared, but I’m afraid Supergirl perished as well. Something about kryptonite?”

Lucy couldn’t stop picturing Alex’s face as she’d leaned over her in the rubble, how beautiful she’d been even in that hell. She couldn’t be gone. That proud, stubborn, courageous woman could not be dead.

Something in her shattered at the thought and a sob caught in her throat. They were supposed to go to the beach, walk under the stars... 

“Major Lane, I’m so sorry.” The doctor reached over, adjusting something on her I.V. and the world started to slip on the edges of her awareness. 

“Alex,” Lucy whispered, praying when she woke up this would all be just a very bad dream.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read and left kudos or feedback. I really appreciate it. You all keep me going!
> 
> For those holding out for Supercat... look for Cat to get sucked into the Danvers sisters' drama in the next chapter. She'll play a significant role from that point on.
> 
> Thanks to BCharmer and zennie for their help!

All that was left of the D.E.O. was two topside structures, hangers formerly used to house their Blackhawk helicopters. Alex worked inside the bigger of the two, signing off on casualty reports for the better part of the day. Her hand was cramping but she was determined to finish them all so the bodies could be released for burial. There were too damn many names, too damn many faces in those files. Alex knew they’d haunt her, the men and women who served beside her, protecting the city, protecting Supergirl. 

At least Lucy’s name hadn’t been among them. Alex closed her eyes, her thoughts never far from the other woman. 

The hanger gave them room to spread out, but it was also hotter than hell. Another bead of sweat slid down Alex’s spine to pool in the small of her back, soaking through the black polo she wore. A small desk fan provided minimal relief, blowing the scents of oil and diesel in her face.

Pausing, Alex checked her phone again, sighing when there was still no word from or about Lucy. The major had been gone for two days now, and Alex couldn’t shake the feeling Lucy needed her. She hated the responsibilities that came with her undesired promotion, wishing she could track Lucy down, make sure she was okay, but she was as good as a prisoner herself, chained to her command. The D.E.O., what was left of it, needed her more than ever, and Alex consoled herself knowing Lucy would expect her to put duty first. At least Kara had taken some time off and was out looking when Alex couldn’t be.

Distantly, Alex became aware of footfalls on the hanger floor. She frowned, not recognizing the tread and she looked up, her temper catching fire and blazing white hot when she saw General Sam Lane enter the hangar like he owned it. He’d disappeared the night he’d taken Lucy against her will, but she’d known he’d show up eventually. She got to her feet as he spied her, changing direction. 

The son-of-a-bitch looked so smug Alex could barely stand it.

“Director Danvers,” Lane greeted.

Alex had to take a deep breath, swallowing down the bile that has risen in her throat. “Where is she?” she demanded, her tone low and dangerous.

The general smiled thinly, and Alex wondered how much trouble she’d be in if she pistol-whipped that grin off his face. 

“That’s none of your concern, but trust me, my daughter is where she is being well cared for.” 

“Trust… _trust_ you?” Alex said with disbelief, moving closer and crowding into his personal space. “You kidnapped your own daughter.”

“I’m her father, and I acted in my daughter’s best interests.”

“We’re going to find her, General,” Alex promised, watching as his eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to get away with abducting a member of the D.E.O.”

“Speaking of the D.E.O.,” Lane glared, “it’s now under my command by order of the President. Tell Supergirl she’s to report here at once.”

Alex smiled malevolently as the other agents began to crowd around them. Vasquez took up a position next to Alex’s right, the agent’s hand resting casually on her sidearm. “Supergirl is not under our jurisdiction, General. She works with us, not for us.”

“As of right now, she does neither. The weapon that destroyed the D.E.O. is believed to have used Kryptonian technology. I have orders to take Supergirl into custody until we get this sorted out.”

“What kind of Kryptonian technology?” 

“That’s classified.”

“Classified my ass.” Alex’s hands fisted at her sides. “I should have known you’d try something like this. Not enough to just make a power grab.”

“Aliens can’t be trusted, Agent Danvers. I think you witnessed the proof of that firsthand several days ago.”

“Kara spent days out there rescuing the wounded and bringing up the dead and this is the thanks she gets?”

“Call your sister, Agent Danvers. That’s an order.”

“Go to hell,” Alex seethed.

“Thought you might say that. You’re relieved of duty.” Lane turned to the other agents, frowning when he found them all watching him. “One of you contact Supergirl. Get her here now.”

“With all due respect, Sir,” Vasquez said simply. “Do it yourself.” She turned her attention on Alex, handing her a satellite phone. “Ma’am, the President would like a word.”

Alex’s lips twitched, proud of the other agent’s defiance. She accepted the phone, glaring at Lane who suddenly looked uneasy. “What’s the President going to say when I ask her about your orders to apprehend Supergirl? She going to agree with that?”

“She will. In time.”

Alex fished in her back pocket, pulling out her badge before throwing it on the floor at Lane’s feet. “Enjoy commanding an ash heap, General Lane.”

Alex started to walk away when she heard several soft thumps behind her. She looked back, stunned, as the other agents tossed their badges on top of her own. Lane was glaring murderously at her, and Alex suspected Kara might not be the only one now in the General’s sights. She gave him a cheeky wink before heading out into the sunlight, her team following on her six.

“Madam President, this is Acting Director Danvers,” Alex greeted as she brought the phone to her ear. “I need to speak with you about Supergirl and Major Lane.”

****

“What is that?”

The doctor glanced up, looking pleased that Lucy had spoken. She hadn’t said a word to him in the days since he’d told her about Alex and Kara. “Glad to see you back with us, Major. You had me worried.”

Lucy continued to stare straight ahead at the ceiling. She was numb after two days of crying. They kept sedating her, kept drugging her, but in her lucid moments she mourned. Kara’s sunny smiles. Alex’s knowing smirk. She’d never see them again, and that tore her to pieces.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Her father had shown up, confirming what the doctor had told her was true. Alex and Kara Danvers were dead. He hadn’t seemed especially upset by the news, not that Lucy had expected him to be. He’d gone on about not trusting aliens until Lucy had pressed her own pain pump to get away from him. She hadn’t seen him since.

“What is that?” she asked again, unable to remember if the doctor had told her what the strange, tingling heat was along her lower ribs.

“Tickles a little, doesn’t it?” O’Bannon straightened up and showed her a small, handheld device the size of a small flashlight. “It’s amazing. Helps heal bone and tissue three times faster. Courtesy of your father.”

Lucy was aware of how slowly her gaze tracked to the device, of how oddly disinterested in it she was. Whatever they were drugging her with, it was messing with her perception of time and reality. She wanted to tell the doctor to stop giving it to her, but she couldn’t seem to manage the words. 

“Alien?” Lucy croaked, figuring the doctor would know what she meant.

“I suppose so.” O’Bannon smiled again and moved down to her leg. 

Heat penetrated deep into the wound and Lucy winced, the discomfort clearing her mind a little. It figured her father wanted nothing to do with aliens unless it was something he could use or steal as a weapon. 

She continued to stare at the ceiling as her medicated fog lifted slightly. Something wasn’t right about all this, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Or maybe she just desperately needed to believe anything other than her new reality, that she would never see Alex again.

“Now that you’re back with us, we’ll start your sessions with Doctor Gibbons.”

Frowning, Lucy finally met his gaze.

“She’s our psychiatrist.”

Lucy shook her head slowly. “No.”

“Relax, Major. She’ll help you deal with your loss. Put it behind you.”

“How do you put losing everyone under your command behind you, Doctor?”

He stared at her for a moment, and Lucy wondered if she imagined the tiny flicker of guilt in his eyes.

“She can help, Major,” he promised before resuming what he was doing.

Lucy clenched her jaw, enduring the discomfort. There was no way in hell she was telling some shrink about her feelings for Alex. They were too precious and painful to share with anyone. She closed her eyes, picturing the sexy little smile Alex would give her when she’d pulled one over on her, wishing she could have known what it was like to kiss Alex just once, to know the flavor of her mouth, if those lips had been as soft as they looked. 

Another tear slipped lonely and silent down her cheek. She would find out who killed Alex, Kara, and everyone else at the D.E.O., and God help them when she did. 

That was something she wasn’t going to tell the shrink, either.

****

Rain began to patter against Kara’s windows as Alex paced her sister’s apartment, fingers curled around the cell phone in her hand as she waited for a call. Supergirl was out in the coming storm searching for Lucy block by block, mile by mile. It was a waste of Kara’s time and powers. Lucy could be anywhere, and she doubted General Lane would stash her so close to home, but Alex couldn’t blame her sister for trying. It beat doing nothing.

Running a hand through her hair, Alex swayed a little in place, lack of food and sleep beginning to take their toll. She would crash soon, but until she was physically incapable of looking for Lucy she had to keep trying. At least she had the time now. No longer burdened with managing what was left of the D.E.O., Alex could devote all her energy where she wanted to most.

But they were running out of options. Alex had worked every contact she could think of. While she was managing to get more information on the device that had destroyed the D.E.O., getting anyone to talk about General Lane was a lost cause. 

Her phone finally rang and Alex answered in a clipped tone. “You’re late.”

“Sorry,” Lois Lane answered, equally snippy. “Any luck?”

“I ran into your father this morning.”

Lois was quiet a moment. “If you punched him in the face or kneed him in the junk, I won’t hold it against you.”

Alex’s lips quirked. She hadn’t known Lois well before all this, but they’d been loosely acquainted through Kara and Clark. Alone together in Lucy’s hospital room, they’d bonded a little over their super loved ones and being overprotective big sisters. “I’m afraid I showed more restraint than that, but I was tempted. Especially since he wanted to bring Kara into custody.”

“What?” Lois spat. Alex heard a rustle and the sounds of the CatCo bullpen dissolved into the background, changing to rain as Lois apparently stepped outside. “What about Clark?”

“Have to assume he’d be next. Your father has a real hangup about aliens. Fortunately I talked with the President and she vetoed that plan, but I think that just slowed your dad down. He won’t give up so easily.”

“Tell me about it. Did he say anything about Lucy?”

“Just confirmed that he’d taken her, that she was receiving the best care, whatever that means.” Alex wandered into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water and sipping it slowly as she leaned against the kitchen island. Outside, the rain increased, and Alex bit her lip, wishing Kara would hurry home.

Lois sighed. “I can’t help but think the root cause of all this is me and Clark. Sometimes I think I wanted to date Superman just to piss my father off.”

“The root cause is your father’s fear, Lois. Don’t blame yourself.” Alex sighed. “What about you? Any luck? I can’t get anybody to talk to me about your father.”

“Me, either. They’re all too afraid of him. I’ve shifted my focus, tapping into some different contacts to focus more on the type of facility or care Lucy would need.”

“I feel like I’m failing her.” Alex wished she had twenty Lois Lanes looking for Lucy right now. If she could clone the reporter they’d have Lucy back by the end of the week. A thought popped into her head, a dangerous one, and Alex frowned that she was actually seriously considering it.

“We’ll find her, Alex,” Lois vowed, her voice full of conviction that Alex desperately needed to hear. “Can I ask you something, though?”

Warning bells went off in Alex’s head. “Sure,” she said slowly.

“What’s going on with you and my sister?” 

Struggling with what to say, Alex was quiet a moment. “Why do you ask?” she evaded.

“Lucy and I don’t talk much. You know that. But when we’ve exchanged emails lately… she talks about you. A lot. Like a _lot_.”

Closing her eyes, Alex absorbed the information, experiencing a mixture of emotions she was too tired to sift through and categorize. “We’re not dating, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“You’re going above and beyond for just a friend, Alex. Not that I’m not grateful, because I am, but…”

“But you’re a reporter and you’re nosey.”

“Guilty as charged.”

Alex sighed again. “I don’t know what’s going on with me and your sister, Lois.”

“But something is going on, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Alex admitted after a moment, an invisible weight tumbling off her shoulders and leaving her dizzy with the confession.

“We’re going to find her, and then I expect you to ask her out.”

Shaking her head, the barest trace of a smile nevertheless shaped Alex’s lips. “Sorta already did that.”

“Keep the faith, Alex. We’re going to bring Lucy home.”

****

Kara toweled her hair dry with one hand as she slung her dripping cape over the shower rod with the other. She took a moment to stand in her bathroom, eyes closed, and acknowledge her exhaustion, both physical and emotional. She didn’t want Alex to see her like this. Her sister needed her to be strong, to be positive, but after carrying the crushing weight of losing Krypton for the last twelve years, losing the D.E.O. was beginning to feel like that last straw. Her spirit was breaking.

And now General Lane wanted to arrest her, to accuse her of those deaths. It was too much.

Swallowing, Kara wiped at the tears on her face. She longed for sleep, but the nightmares she knew were waiting for her kept her stubbornly awake and moving. Better to push through the fatigue, to run from the ways her brain wanted to twist what had happened. In her dreams she lost more than the D.E.O. She lost everything.

“Kara?”

She jumped when Alex knocked on the door, having been so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn’t detect her sister’s approach. “Yeah?” Her voice broke and she winced.

“Pizza is here. Come eat something.”

Food didn’t sound the least bit appetizing, but Alex needed to keep her strength up. Checking her reflection in the mirror, Kara wiped away one last tear, barely recognizing the face of the young woman who looked back at her. She looked older, haggard, like the decades she’d lost in the phantom zone had all caught up to her at once.

Opening the bathroom door, she padded barefoot in her robe out to the couch. Alex looked up at her, frowning at what she saw and wordlessly handing her a slice of pizza.

“You okay?” Alex asked softly.

“Frustrated,” Kara admitted as she sat on the couch. She noticed Alex’s laptop on the table, several message threads open as she worked her contacts in what was starting to feel like a fruitless effort to find Lucy.

“Kara, you need a break.”

“Like you don’t?” Kara sniped, wincing as she took her exhaustion out on her sister. “Sorry.” She took a bite of pizza, chewing with little enthusiasm.

“I know this business with General Lane is the last thing you needed to hear, but you didn’t give me the chance to tell you when you came home that I also talked to the President.”

Kara looked at her sister in surprise. “Of the United States?”

“That would be the one. Vasquez got her on the line when General Lane showed up and started demanding your apprehension.”

A tiny grin touched Kara’s lips. Finding out Vasquez was safe had been one of the only bright spots in days that seemed to be full of darkness. “What did the President say?”

“I’m paraphrasing here,” Alex murmured, “but boiled down to its essence, she pretty much said, ‘Fuck that.’”

Some of the tension fled from Kara’s frame as rain sheeted down the windows behind her. “So they aren’t going to try to throw me or Kal-El in prison? I half expected them to break down my door once you told me.”

“First off, I’d like to see them try. Secondly, I’m pretty sure that the President would have General Lane’s balls if she gets even a hint that he might come after you or Superman.”

“What did she say about Lucy?”

It was Alex’s turn to sigh. “She disapproves of his methods, but the General is listed as Lucy’s proxy. He can make decisions for her when she is medically impaired.”

“She wasn’t medically impaired, Alex. Lucy was perfectly capable of making decisions for herself.”

“We know that, but the President needs proof before she can act.”

“Is she going to order him to reveal Lucy’s location?”

“I don’t know. She took everything I told her under advisement. She’s not an idiot, Kara, if she can find a way to help, I think she will, but even the President has to play politics.”

Kara’s jaw clenched. “I hate this. I _hate_ this. We’re no closer to finding Lucy. The D.E.O. is gone. General Lane is out to lock me up. We’re out of leads...” She just wanted to go back to work, back to what constituted her “normal” life. Kara ached for it, accepting there was one person in particular she desperately missed.

“I know.” Alex swallowed. She picked at her slice of pizza for a moment, clearly reluctant to bring up something.

“What?” Kara asked.

Alex shook her head. “I had an idea but it’s a bad one.”

“To help us find Lucy?”

“To help us find Lucy. To get more answers about the D.E.O.”

“What is it?”

Alex swallowed and looked away. “Forget it. I can’t ask it of you, and it probably wouldn’t help in the end.”

Kara reached out, wrapping her fingers around Alex’s wrist. “Tell me.” She watched as Alex stared off into space, worried about her sister’s mental and physical health even if Kara had little interest in taking care of her own.

“We need more people looking for her,” Alex murmured. “People who can dig up the kind of stuff we can’t. People like Lois.”

Kara frowned, trying to track what Alex meant. “You want me to reach out to James? People at CatCo…?” Her breath caught as she looked at her sister again. Alex’s gaze was both apologetic and pleading. “Cat,” Kara whispered in realization. “You want me to talk to Cat.”

“She’s the Queen of All Media, Kara. Her connections could get us in doors that keep getting slammed in our faces, and she’d do just about anything for Supergirl.”

“But dragging her into this puts her in danger, Alex.” The thought of General Lane targeting Cat made her ill, and Kara tossed her half-eaten piece of pizza back in the box.

“I know. I’m just… grasping at straws, I guess.”

“No… it’s…” Kara swallowed roughly. “You’re right. She has the connections. The only person we know who does.”

“Do you think she’d help?”

Kara nodded without hesitation and that’s what scared her most. Cat would barrel into the investigation, not giving a damn who she pissed off. She would have to convince the older woman to funnel contacts to them but not to get involved directly. Wearily, she began to consider her arguments, wondering if she could catch Cat before the CEO left for the evening.

“Kara, do not feel pressured to ask her. I know you care about her, and I don’t want her to become another casualty in this mess. Maybe I should just go back out to the D.E.O. and beat the truth out of that bastard.”

“He’s scared of me,” Kara said quietly, holding Alex’s gaze meaningfully.

Alex looked away. “No,” she said quietly. “We’re not stooping to his level. Lucy wouldn’t want that, and you couldn’t live with yourself.”

“After what he did to Astra and Lucy, I’d be willing to try.” Kara was quiet a moment. “I’ll talk to Cat, but you might not like what I have to trade for her help.”

“Kara…”

“Alex… with the D.E.O. gone… I don’t think I can keep doing this. Being two different people. National City needs Supergirl right now. Kara Danvers is… useless.”

“My sister is never useless,” Alex insisted. “And you need your life as Kara Danvers. You deserve to feel normal.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever feel normal again.” Kara got to her feet, her mind made up. Heart heavy, she went to find a change of clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have been patiently waiting for Cat to take on a bigger role in the story... here she comes. :)

Kara could hear them arguing from the lobby. She sighed, in no mood for Lois and Cat’s decades-long squabble. Especially not today.

She’d taken an all-too-rare vacation from CatCo to continue to deal with the fallout from the destruction of the D.E.O. and Lucy’s subsequent disappearance. With neither situation resolved and no end in sight, Kara knew a longer absence was required. 

A permanent one.

Just the thought hurt. Kara loved her life there, loved how she and Cat had been growing closer as Kara tackled her new role in the company. As Kara stepped into the elevator to take her to the 40th floor for likely the last time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was leaving behind another world, one she desperately didn’t want to give up.

“Kara, hey.” Winn hurried over to greet her when she arrived. “What are you doing here?” 

Kara didn’t miss his frown as he took her in. “I need to speak with Ms. Grant.” She paused at his desk, trying to block out Lois and Cat’s bickering. “Any luck finding Lucy?”

Winn shook his head. “Still searching. Wherever the general stashed her, it was smart.”

“Keep looking, Winn. She’s counting on us.”

“Yeah, and we’ve lost enough friends this week.” He stepped forward and hugged her. “Really sorry about all this, Kara.”

Kara took a breath to answer only to have it catch in her chest when Cat’s gaze shifted to her and held. She swallowed, her stomach doing a giddy little flip at being noticed, at the fact that she mattered to a woman as powerful as Cat Grant, but the knowledge that she was about to walk away from whatever precious thing they had together caused tears to threaten. 

“Thanks,” she said finally, giving him a quick hug back. She would miss having him in her life every day, miss game night and Winn’s gentle teasing over her crush on Cat. He was another piece of Kara Danvers’ world, and it was crumbling under her feet. 

The door to Cat’s office opened. “Kara, my office. Now.”

“Good luck,” Winn drawled under his breath as he settled back in his seat.

Kara took a deep, fortifying breath and slipped inside the fishbowl that was Cat’s domain, exchanging a wordless nod with Lois who gave her a tight, pained smile. They didn’t know each other well, but they knew each other’s biggest secrets. 

“Lois, I need to speak with my employee. In private. Leave.” Cat flicked her fingers dismissively at the bullpen.

Lois rolled her eyes but she pivoted smartly and headed for the door. “Always a pleasure, Kitty.” She made pointed eye contact with Kara again, and Kara nodded once more, silently promising to call.

Cat sat at her desk, drumming her fingernails on the surface as she regarded Kara with a critical eye. “I can see why you don’t take vacations, Kara. They don’t agree with you.”

Kara snorted. She’d missed Cat acerbic wit the last several days. The sarcasm was oddly comforting. “If that’s your way of politely telling me I look like hell, Ms. Grant, thanks.”

“You look like shit,” Cat answered with brutal honesty and more than just a touch of heat. She shoved back from her desk and went to her balcony door, opening it and motioning for Kara to step outside.

Wordlessly, Kara complied, relieved to be away from prying eyes. If she was going to break down, better it be in relative private. Alex was going to be disappointed in her for what she was about to do, but Kara knew it needed to be done.

The rain had eased to a soft mist, keeping the skies gray and the concrete and steel of National City wet as the day crept toward its end. Kara inhaled the damp, clean-smelling air, drawing it deep into her lungs. It was a far cry from the sand and dirt of the desert. The pungent scents of metal melted to slag and death. 

“Enough,” Cat grumbled as the door closed behind her.

Blinking, Kara wasn’t sure what Cat meant. “I’m sorry?” Her breath caught as Cat stepped into her personal space, assessing her closely, and Kara willed herself not to shirk away. She could lift a million tons in her hands, but Cat Grant intimidated the hell out of her for all kinds of reasons. 

“I am not an idiot.”

“I… I know that.” Kara frowned, not sure what Cat was getting at.

“I know about the D.E.O., Kara. Do you really think anything gets by me in my own backyard?”

Kara stared at Cat for a long moment, her mind automatically forming excuses even though she’d come for precisely this reason. “Good,” she said wearily. “That will save me time having to explain it to you.”

Cat rocked back on her heels slightly in surprise at Kara’s forthcomingness, some of the fire banking in her eyes. “Kara…”

“I’m Supergirl.” It felt good to finally say it, to lay it out on the table between them. “I know you already know that so this is probably fairly anticlimactic for you.” Kara reached up, hesitating for only a moment before she slipped off her glasses and faced Cat who was now watching her with an odd look of trepidation. “I’d apologize for lying and let you excoriate me all you like, but I don’t have the time or the energy right now.”

The sounds of the city filled the abrupt silence between them. Cat swallowed, and Kara gave her the courtesy of waiting for the older woman to order her thoughts. 

“Why now?” Cat’s anger had all but fled. “Not that I’m not happy to finally get my membership card to your little club of super friends, but why tell me now?”

“Because the D.E.O. is gone. Because there are alien prisoners on the loose and nowhere to put them. Because…” Kara felt the shock of tears again, faltering at the words she’d come to say and desperately wishing she didn’t have to say them. “Because I can’t be Kara Danvers anymore, and you deserve the truth before I walk away.”

Cat’s jaw clenched, as if maybe, just maybe, Cat didn’t want to hear those words any more than Kara had wanted to say them. “You will always be Kara Danvers.”

The words warmed her, as did the conviction behind them. Kara almost smiled. “Kara Zor-El, actually.”

“Hmph.” Cat smirked just a little, and seeing that expression made Kara’s heart skip a beat. God she’d missed her. How in the hell was she supposed to give this woman up and survive it?

The scent of Cat’s perfume drifted over her, and Kara experienced the reckless desire to throw her arms around the older woman, to seek comfort where it was so rarely to be found. She could still remember what it was like to hold Cat Grant, and Kara would have given anything to be able to do it one last time.

“You need a sabbatical,” Cat guessed. “To… deal with the mess.” 

“Ms. Grant…” Kara sighed.

“A sabbatical,” Cat said again, sharper this time.

The fire was back in Cat’s eyes now, her gaze all but daring Kara to challenge her on this. Kara blinked a few times, startled by her reaction. She’d expected Cat to understand, to wish her well and send her on her way. It was an abrupt change from the last time they’d been in a moment like this, when Cat had nearly forced Kara to give up her so-called normal life, and knowing Cat didn’t want her to leave now meant… everything. 

“I…” Kara fumbled for a response.

“You don’t have to leave. Not forever. Just for long enough.” Cat’s hazel eyes were imploring, and the look left Kara reeling. Cat’s offer was a lifeline, one Kara had never expected, but for the first time in days, her spirit felt a little less broken. 

“A sabbatical would be… appreciated.” 

“Done.” Cat shrugged, but she couldn’t hide her relief. “I would have given you that without the dramatic reveal, Kara. You’re valued enough here to have earned that. Although finding someone with the competence to fill your role in your absence will be challenging.”

A faint, puzzled smile shaped Kara’s lips. “Thank you, Ms. Grant.”

Cat studied her carefully. “There’s something else on your mind, though. Something you need.”

Kara shook her head slightly, marveling at Cat’s intuitiveness. “Lucy is missing.” 

“Lois said that camouflaged oaf spirited her away somewhere for treatment.”

“Against her will.”

Cat straightened. “She left out that little detail.”

“I need your help.”

“To find Lucy.”

“Yes.”

“What do you need?” Cat asked without hesitation. 

Kara could have kissed her, and the inclination instantly made her blush. She turned away, looking out over the city to hide her thoughts. “I don’t know exactly. We have no idea where he might have taken her.” 

The mist thickened once more into a steady rain. Kara expected Cat to step back under the overhang, but Cat moved forward instead, drawing even with her, standing firm and silent at her side. _El mayara_ , Kara thought. They were stronger together. She’d nearly forgotten that. Thank Rao Cat had reminded her.

“I’ll need everything you have on General Samuel Lane. I also need Lucy’s hospital files. The list of any places you might have already explored and dismissed.”

Kara turned her head, staring at Cat in confusion. “Why?”

“I’m an investigative journalist, Kara, and a damn good one. If I can’t track Lucy down, no one can.”

“Ms. Grant, no. General Lane is dangerous. He’s already trying to have me... Supergirl… captured and imprisoned. That’s not the help I was looking for.”

Cat bristled, and Kara realized belatedly she should have kept that information to herself. 

“I’m aware of General Lane, and I am not cowed by him or his uniform. He took Lucy, and I will not let that slide.”

“But…”

“Kara,” Cat’s voice was stern. “I can find her. Why else come to me?”

“For your connections. You can shunt us toward the right people. Get us in the right doors…”

“A waste of my talents and your time. I’m far more useful to you doing what I do best.”

“214 people are dead,” Kara choked out, “and we don’t know why. Someone is playing a deadly game, and I don’t want you caught up in it.”

“So Lois can risk her life, but mine is off limits? What makes me so damn special?”

“You matter more to me,” Kara admitted, refusing to feel ashamed for prioritizing Cat’s life over so many others. 

Cat eyed her through the falling rain. Her expression was open and surprisingly gentle, and Kara had to look away, her heart clenching so hard she could barely breathe. Warm fingertips gripped her chin, urged Kara to face her again.

“You’re not going to lose me, Supergirl.” Cat smiled in a way Kara had only seen the other woman do with Carter, affection heavy in her gaze. Her thumb stroked down Kara’s chin before Cat released her, and Kara’s skin tingled at the contact. “But I wouldn’t say no to a little extra protection until this is over.”

Something warm and distracting curled in Kara’s stomach, Cat’s words sounding oddly like an invitation. “Extra protection?”

“Mmmm. Maybe instead of a sabbatical, you come back to work. I’ll have you re-assigned to me for a special project. We’ll work together, and with Lois if we must, to find Lucy and some useful dirt on the general. You’d be free to flit off for super emergencies, of course.”

Kara considered the offer, knowing they could cover much more ground with CatCo’s resources at their backs. “What about at night?”

Cat took a step closer, and Kara’s breathing didn’t get any easier.

“I have spare rooms, Kara. You’re welcome to use one.”

“You’d… let me stay close? Make sure you’re safe?”

“It would be a terrible hardship,” Cat drawled, “but I’m sure I can manage.”

A small smile curved Kara’s lips at being teased. “What about Carter?”

“He left for Asia with his father and Richard’s new floozy of a girlfriend this morning. Perfect timing.”

The thought of being alone with Cat Grant in the privacy of the other woman’s home was both enticing and intimidating, but Kara couldn’t refuse the chance to be closer to her. 

“Do we have a deal?”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to investigate whether we do or not?”

Cat simply stared at her, and Kara shook her head, resigned.

“Deal,” Kara gave in, smirking slightly when Cat offered her hand and they shook on it. “You never cease to amaze me, Ms. Grant.”

“Likewise,” Cat said thoughtfully. “Now, what did you mean when you said 214 people were dead and you don’t know why? Do you not know who attacked the D.E.O.?”

“No. It was some kind of laser. Fired from space.”

“Yes, Kara, I saw that. You were standing right next to me.” Cat huffed out an impatient breath. “Did you go up there and have a look around?” She flicked her wrist toward the heavens and beyond.

Kara smiled grimly. “I can’t breathe outside Earth’s atmosphere any more than you can, but we did manage to get some satellite footage of a small device, no bigger than a large suitcase. It self-destructed when an effort was made to retrieve it.”

“A laser powerful enough to destroy a facility the size of the D.E.O. fired from a space Samsonite? Please tell me you’re keeping an eye on Maxwell Lord.”

“Always,” Kara promised darkly. 

****

The sky was turning to an inky black when Alex made her way into Lord Technologies. She was vaguely surprised Max had agreed to see her, but she suspected National City’s version of Dr. Frankenstein wanted to gloat. Alex was prepared to let him if she got the information she needed.

Two armed guards flanked her, and Alex’s ego preened at being considered that much of a threat. Not that they were wrong. If Alex found out Max had used that laser he’d need more than two armed men to keep her from killing him.

They stepped into Max’s office, the stubborn rain continuing to sluice down the windows and drum overhead on the skylights. Alex lingered in the doorway, waiting to be acknowledged as Max puttered around a model of his new and improved high speed train.

After he made her wait a few minutes, Max finally looked up, motioning his guards to leave them. One of them gave Alex a menacing look, and Alex couldn’t resist winking at him before the door closed behind her.

“Agent Danvers!” Max offered her his best charming smile. “So good to see you again.”

“Just Alex now, Max,” she said conversationally. “I’m no longer with the D.E.O.”

“From what I understand, no one is. And I’m not just referring to the fact it’s now a crater in the desert.” The billionaire crossed his office to take a seat behind his desk. “But the D.E.O.’s loss could be Lord Technologies gain. I could use a woman like you here.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “A job offer? Really?”

Max shrugged. “I’d be happy to have you any way I could get you, Alex.”

Somehow Alex didn’t think he meant professionally. She offered him a tight, humorless smile.

“You’d make an excellent head of security. Or I’d be delighted to have you on my innovation team. I happen to know you’re more than just a pretty face with an intimidating glare.”

“Am I intimidating you, Max?”

He smiled. “Always. It’s one of the things I like most about you.”

Shaking her head at his idea of flirting, Alex sauntered further into his office as he watched her, curious. 

“Were you there? When the D.E.O. was destroyed?”

“That your handiwork?” Alex asked bluntly.

Max leaned back in his chair. “You wound me, Alex.” 

“Don’t tempt me.” Alex reluctantly moved closer, putting her hands on the other side of his desk. “Look me in the eye and promise me you didn’t do this.”

Max stared at her, some of his infuriating smugness slowly abating. “I didn’t do this,” he said in a more subdued voice.

“You were going to detonate a bomb over National City.”

“As a last resort.” Max regarded her silently for a moment. “I would never attack the D.E.O. You’re the first line of defense. And if that reason isn’t good enough for you,” Max leaned across the desk and covered one of her hands with his own, “I would never put your life at risk like that.”

Alex was surprised she believed him. She eased back, slipping her hand out from under his. “Then who did? General Lane says the device possessed Kryptonian technology.” Alex set her phone on the desk between them, letting him see a satellite image she’d manage to acquire of the device in question.

Max glanced at the picture and frowned.

“What?” Alex demanded.

“That’s…” Max picked up her phone and took a closer look. “This can’t be right.”

“You recognize it?”

He slapped her phone down and swiveled toward his computer. “Come here.”

The last thing Alex wanted to do was get closer, but she circled his desk, scooping up her phone and tucking it into her back pocket as she stood beside his chair. Max typed a bevy of passwords to pull up a set of blueprints. She leaned in when he found the one he was looking for. “Max…” she growled.

“I didn’t build it, Alex.”

“Well somebody did,” she muttered, seeing the renderings for a device that looked exactly like the one that had destroyed the D.E.O. “Who would have access to these? What kind of power source would they need?” 

Max slumped back in his chair, and Alex got a whiff of his expensive cologne. If there was one nice thing she could say about the billionaire it was that he smelled good. Too bad the scent was wasted on him. 

“That son of a bitch,” Max snarled.

Wrenching him around to face her, Alex placed her hands on his armrests to cage him. “Tell me.”

“I don’t owe you any answers,” Max murmured. “You aren’t with the government anymore, and your sister is now flying around out there with no checks and balances.”

“But that wasn’t her choice, was it?”

Max studied her, thinking. 

“Who do you trust more right now, Max? Me and Kara, or whoever stole your design and used it to kill 214 people?”

“214?” Max swallowed. “That’s worse than I heard.” He searched her face, and Alex endured his perusal, even if she wanted nothing more than to get away from him. “Were you there?” he asked again.

“Yes.”

His eyelids fluttered closed. “You’re lucky you’re not dead.” Max sighed. “The Omegahedron. That’s your power source.”

“The device that powered Fort Rozz? How in the hell did you get your hands on that?”

“It was given to Lord Technologies for study. We were able to replicate the device… to a point. My goal was to create a new, unlimited power source, one that would switch the whole planet to clean energy overnight, but the technology is the most advanced thing I’ve ever seen. It would take years, maybe decades, to be able to fully replicate the original.”

“And you wanted to build a weapon strong enough to stop the Kryptonians.” Alex grabbed the edge of his laptop and yanked it closer. “That’s what that is, right?” She stabbed the screen with a finger. “Except someone used it to kill _human beings_ , Max.”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking vaguely ill. 

“Tell me who had access to these blueprints. Who asked you to create this weapon?”

“So you can save your sister?” 

“So I can save all of us!” Alex spat. “214 people are dead. What makes you think they’ll stop there?”

Clenching his jaw, Max looked at the screen, at his design. To his credit, he looked pissed. “General Lane. It was General Lane.”

Alex drew in a deep breath, standing straighter and stepping back from the desk. Hearing the truth made Alex aware that some part of her had known it all along. “After everything Kara did to save this planet, you come back here and get on your goddamn computer and dream up ways to _murder_ her.”

“That wasn’t for Supergirl!” Max waved a dismissive hand at the screen. “That was for the next Non. The next Zod. You know there’s more of them out there, Alex. Maybe one too powerful for your sister or her cousin to stop!”

“You think Supergirl can’t be trusted with her powers, but look what you’ve done with yours.” Alex savored the way he flinched. “Who’s the real threat to National City?” Alex pivoted on her heel and left, afraid if she lingered a moment longer she would do something she would regret… eventually.

“Alex!”

She stopped at the door, the rain thundering overhead, turning around slowly to look at him. He was standing beside his desk now, a pleading look in his eyes. 

“Building just one of these devices takes time and a hell of a lot of resources and money. But now that Lane knows it works, he’ll make another if he hasn't already. He’ll come for Supergirl next.”

“I know,” Alex said tightly, refusing to give into the fear for Kara curling in her guts.

“How can I make this right?” 

Alex glared at him, but she was slightly mollified to see he genuinely wanted to help. “Find a way to stop it before somebody else dies.”

****

Clawing her way up from a drug-fueled sleep, Lucy blinked her eyes open to find the room dark and quiet. Fumbling for the I.V. line pinching the back of her left hand, Lucy kinked the tube, lucid enough to crave a reprieve from whatever medication they kept dosing her with. 

It took a few minutes before her mental fog began to clear. Experimentally, she eased upright, relieved she could with very little pain to show for it. Progress. Apparently that little alien device the doctor was so fond of had its merits.

She sat there, peering into the shadows, her mind steadily sharpening. With more awareness came more grief, but Lucy willed that down, focusing on what she’d been told, on where she was, on what her father had done.

He despised her working for the D.E.O., working so closely with Kara and Hank. Trying time and again to get Lucy to return to Washington, her father had been getting more and more angry with her the more deeply entrenched she became. Her had already destroyed his relationship with Lois over his hatred of Superman, and Lucy had lamented to Alex that he was repeating his mistakes with her.

_Alex._

She’d listened to Lucy’s fears about her father and her regrets about Lois for hours one late night at the D.E.O. Kara had been hurt, healing in the sunbed, and Alex had lingered behind to be close to her sister. It had been the longest they’d ever talked, and Lucy had found herself drawn to Alex’s voice, the compassion in her dark eyes. She’d always found Alex attractive, enjoyed their competitiveness a little too much, but that night she’d gotten to know Alex Danvers as more than an agent, more than Kara’s overprotective sister. 

And Lucy had tipped from attraction and infatuation into something much more.

Clenching her jaw, Lucy continued to kink the I.V. tube while fussing quietly with the bedrail with her remaining fingers, finally getting it to lower quietly. She needed to assess her condition, to know how badly she was still hurt. Scooting closer to the edge of the bed, she eased off it, putting all her weight onto her left leg before standing slowly. The room spun and she closed her eyes, willing the dizziness and nausea to pass before she carefully put weight on her injured right leg.

Pain shot through her thigh. Shrieked down her calf. Lucy gasped, biting down hard on her lower lip to hold back a scream as her leg nearly buckled. While her ribs were much improved, clearly her leg needed more work. She awkwardly hopped back on the bed. Escaping was clearly not an option, at least for a while longer.

Closing her eyes again, Lucy swallowed thickly, willing the pain to fade, but it had the benefit of clearing her mind even further. She had been taken, isolated, and drugged. No contact with the outside world. No concept as to the passage of time. She was being encouraged to believe everyone she cared about was gone, that she was alone, helpless, her father the only one she could turn to.

Her jaw clenched as she studied the faint outlines of furniture in the room. Her father was no stranger to using brainwashing techniques to undermine an enemy combatant. Would he have gone this far to get her away from the D.E.O.? Would he actually attempt to brainwash his own daughter?

The answer left Lucy cold all over.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has offered me feedback and encouragement on this story. I very much appreciate it!

_Meet me in Cat’s office._

Alex stared worriedly at Kara’s text before she pushed off the back wall of the elevator and stepped out onto the 40th floor of CatCo. She’d just gotten off the phone with Lois, breaking the news about her father’s likely involvement in the D.E.O.’s destruction as gently as she could. Like Alex, the reporter hadn’t been surprised, but Alex still felt pity for Lois Lane. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to hear your father was a mass murderer.

The bullpen was mostly dark and kind of creepy, and Alex was pleased to leave the marble floor for quieter carpet, feeling loud and conspicuous in the unnerving quiet. She gave the large fuchsia cat she passed a look, slowing her steps as she came closer to Cat Grant’s office.

Rounding the corner, Alex stopped still, frowning at the odd sensation that she’d just walked in on something intimate. Cat and Kara were sitting close together on the couch, a little too close for Alex’s comfort, their bodies angled toward one another as Cat explained something in low tones to the younger woman. Their knees were almost touching, and as Alex watched, Kara glanced up at Cat and smiled, the warmth and undeniable affection in her grin making Alex grimace.

No wonder James hadn’t worked out.

Alex hesitated, uncertain if she should approach. Cat would recognize her from the whole Myriad business, and a government agent wouldn’t have a need to talk to Kara Danvers. She was just about to step further into the shadows, to send her sister a text to meet her elsewhere, when Kara’s gaze shifted and locked onto her in the meager light. 

“Alex,” Kara called, almost hopping to her feet, looking well and truly busted.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Alex drawled, furiously trying to come up with an excuse for being there as she eased into the room. “Ms. Grant. Nice to see you again.”

“Agent… Scully was it?”

Pursing her lips, Alex tried not to be amused or offended. “If you don’t mind, I need to talk with Kara a moment.”

“You talked to Max?” Kara asked.

Stiffening slightly, Alex narrowed her eyes at her sister in silent warning. “Maybe we should talk about this in your office.”

Kara drew closer, and Alex’s stomach tightened at the contrite look on her sister’s features. “We can talk in front of Ms. Grant, Alex. That’s why I texted you to come here.”

“Kara…” 

“She knows,” Kara blurted. “Everything, Alex. Ms. Grant knows.”

For a stunned moment, Alex couldn’t say anything. “This is not what we talked about. This is not what I wanted.”

“I know. It’s what I wanted.” 

“Do you have _any_ idea what you’ve done?”

“I know you’re mad…”

“Mad does not _begin_ to describe what I’m feeling at the moment.” Betrayal warred with exasperation at her sister, that Kara would do this _now_ , when Lucy needed them focused. 

“It was my choice, Alex. Mine. She deserved to know.”

“The “she” in question is within earshot,” Cat reminded them as she got to her feet and came closer. Stopping next to Kara, the pair presented a unified front. 

Alex suspected she could squash Cat Grant like a bug, but she was pleasantly surprised to see where the woman’s loyalties lie. “Ms. Grant…” she began.

“Part of being a responsible journalist is knowing when the public needs to be aware of a story and when they don’t. Knowing about the D.E.O. would only complicate their necessary mission. Knowing about the laser would simply cause chaos. And knowing about Kara would only deprive the people of National City the one person who can protect them all. So why, exactly, do you think I would be so irresponsible as to report on any of the above?”

Starting to respond, Alex closed her mouth instead, searching for a valid argument. When Kara smirked faintly, Alex glared, but she could feel her anger losing steam in the face of Cat’s cold logic. “I have your word that none of what happens here makes it out there?” She waved a hand at the windows, at the city beyond.

“You have my word that I won’t report on anything without clearing it with you first. Acceptable?”

Kara looked as stunned as Alex felt at Cat’s offered compromise, indicating it was as unexpected as Alex assumed. “I trust her,” she told her sister. “And… I need her, Alex.”

Cat’s intense gaze shifted to Kara, softening in surprise, and Alex filed that look away for later review.

Reluctantly acknowledging there were worse things in the world than having an ally as powerful and well-connected as Cat Grant, Alex shook her head. “Not like there’s much I can do about it now,” she sighed.

Kara hugged her hard.

“Don’t hug me. I’m mad at you. Furious.” Alex kept her arms at her sides, refusing to return the embrace out of spite as she met Cat’s gaze over Kara’s shoulder. The supposed Queen of All Media was watching them with a bemused smile. Alex rolled her eyes, wondering if there would ever be a time in her life when she didn’t fold like a cheap lawn chair when her sister looked at her with those pleading baby blues.

“Thank you,” Kara whispered.

“If this blows up in your face later, remember that I told you so.”

“I assume Scully here is a D.E.O. agent? Your handler perhaps?” Cat asked as the pair separated.

“My…?” Kara grimaced and looked at Alex. “Don’t get any ideas,” she warned her when a slow, shit-eating grin spilled across Alex’s lips.

Alex shrugged. “It’s as good a description as any. I’ve been handling you since you were thirteen.”

“Bite me.”

“Very adult comeback there.”

Cat looked from one woman to the other, confused, curious, and perhaps even a little jealous at their easy familiarity.

“Cat Grant,” Kara introduced with a dramatic sigh. “Meet... Agent Alex Danvers.”

Cat’s attention zeroed in on Alex. “The sister. The way Kara talks about you, I half expected you to have a cape of your own.”

“Oh really?” Alex looked at Kara who was beginning to blush.

“I can see having you both in the same room was a bad idea.” Kara adjusted her glasses, vaguely uncomfortable.

Smiling in a wickedly appealing way, Cat offered her hand and Alex shook it, her eyebrows arching at Cat’s pleasantly firm grip. “I’m sure we have some stories to trade.”

“Now wait a second,” Kara muttered in alarm.

“So very many stories,” Alex promised, playing along, begrudgingly starting to like the woman. 

Kara cleared her throat, and Alex was certain she’d never seen her sister look more mortified. It was petty revenge for Kara blindsiding her, but Alex wasn’t above enjoying it. 

“So what happened with Max?” Kara asked, pointedly redirecting the conversation away from herself.

The welcome moment of levity passed, and Alex sighed. “He designed the weapon.”

“Of course he did,” Cat grumbled.

“But he’s not the one who used it,” Alex continued. “He… created it after Myriad. As a failsafe.”

Blue eyes studied Alex knowingly. “You mean he built it to kill me.”

Cat drew in a sharp breath and Alex swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. “He swears it wasn’t meant for you but but for an alien that would give you and Superman a run for your money.”

“But if Max didn’t fire it, who did?” Cat demanded.

“General Lane had access to the schematics.”

Cat and Kara absorbed that, exchanging a weighted look Alex couldn’t decipher. They seemed to have their own silent language with each other, and Alex was once more unsettled by the electricity that crackled between her sister and the CEO. It was almost tangible and certainly something she’d never noticed between Kara and James.

“Well. Looks like we know why Lane kidnapped his daughter now.” Cat stepped back, tearing her gaze away from Kara reluctantly before pivoting on her heel and crossing to her desk as Alex and Kara slowly followed. “What do you want to bet if we start digging that Lucy wasn’t even supposed to be there the night of the attack?”

“She wasn’t,” Alex said, her fingertips resting on the other side of Cat’s desk. “I remember being surprised that she was there. She was off shift.”

“You were there?” Cat asked, curious.

“Let’s…” Kara took an unsteady breath. “Let’s not talk about that.”

Without a word, Alex reached for her. Kara’s fingers intertwined with her own, their hands resting together on the desk. Cat eyed them for a moment before she began fiddling with her pen, bringing it up to her chin and tapping it thoughtfully.

“What are you thinking?” Kara asked after a moment.

“That Lane is clearly a bigger problem than we realized. We need to find Lucy and find her now before he causes all-out war.”

“What do you think we’ve been doing?” Alex asked defensively. “Hell, Kara’s been out searching for Lucy block-by-block.” Alex let go of Kara’s hand to cross her arms over her chest. “And let me make something very clear before we go any further. While I appreciate your help finding Lucy, you are not to investigate General Lane directly. Am I clear?”

Cat’s hazel eyes narrowed, and Alex had to resist the urge to squirm. It was a potently intimidating look. “No, Agent Danvers. You’re not. I’ve been keeping tabs on Sam Lane for a long time now. I can guarantee I know him better than you do.”

“We’re working with Lois.”

“So Kara told me.”

Alex glared at her sister askance. “Ms. Grant, he’s dangerous.”

“So am I.” Cat’s tone was short, clipped, and it actually sent a chill down Alex’s spine. “I will not sit idly by while he comes after Superman and Supergirl. I might be your best bet, your only bet, to stop him. Lane has his weapons. I have my words. Between the two of us, I guarantee my approach has more… range.”

Alex looked to Kara for help, but Kara merely shook her head.

“Trust me, Alex. Ms. Grant is a…” Kara glanced at Cat, their gazes holding for a moment. “She’s a force to be reckoned with. She can take him down more bloodlessly than we can.”

A headache began to throb behind Alex’s right eye. “You two have this all figured out don’t you?”

“Alex…” Kara pleaded. “You wanted her help. Now you’ve got it.”

Alex sighed, not sure she had a choice.

“Who have you spoken with?” Cat asked, picking up where she left off.

“You want a list?” Alex sniped.

Cat shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt. But I’ll bet you’ve been shaking the wrong trees, Agent Danvers.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed.

“Let me guess. You’re going after his superiors, his inner circle, his higher ranking subordinates?”

Kara gave Alex a worried look but said nothing.

“They’re the ones who might know where Lucy is,” Alex said cooly. Her chin hitched higher when Cat waggled her pen from side to side at her.

“No. They’re the ones who’ll warn him you’re digging. You don’t want his inner circle, the people who still need him for something. You want people who’ve fallen out his orbit of influence. More precisely, you want people he’s kicked out of it.”

Alex frowned, slowly settling into the chair across from Cat while Kara remained standing at her side. “People he’s gotten fired. Dishonorably discharged.”

“Exactly.” Cat tapped a few buttons on her tablet and passed it across the desk. “I’ve already got a few names.”

Studying the list, Alex swallowed, feeling her first flicker of hope in days. She glanced up at Kara who smiled wearily before her focus shifted back to Cat. “You really think the answer to finding Lucy is talking to people the general pissed off?”

Cat shook her head. “That would be a very long list. No. We’re looking for people who have a reason to hold a grudge. People he betrayed who would keep tabs on Sam Lane, needing to know every move he made almost like a compulsion.”

“Still a long list,” Kara muttered dryly.

Cat smirked, and Alex had to admit seeing the CEO in her element was… interesting. 

“Like that nemesis in high school,” Alex elaborated. “You still hate her guts, but your ears perk up any time she’s mentioned because you hope it’ll be bad news.”

Slowly, Cat smiled, her hazel eyes twinkling. 

Alex snorted faintly in amusement, a thread of respect worming through her. “Not bad, Ms. Grant. Not bad at all.”

****

Lucy frowned when Dr. O’Bannon returned. She’d been trying to pin down his schedule, but he seemed to be checking on her at random intervals, most likely by design should she be plotting an escape. 

“Morning,” the doctor greeted distractedly as he read over her chart. 

“Is it morning?” Lucy asked blandly. Somehow she didn’t think it was.

“The nurse says you tore open some of the stitches on your leg.”

“Tried to go to the restroom,” Lucy lied, pleased the drugs weren’t as much of a mental deterrence now. Maybe they were reducing the dose. Maybe she was getting used to them. Or maybe her anger with her father was strong enough to burn through the mental fog they caused. 

“Major,” the doctor scolded. “If you do something like that again we’ll need to restrain you.”

Lucy’s gaze tracked slowly to him. “It won’t happen again.”

“Good. Your father is here and will be in to see you in a moment. We’ll also start your sessions with Dr. Gibbons today.”

“Not sure I’m up for that.”

“Which part?”

“Either.”

The doctor smiled before patting her gently on the arm. “I’ll be back in to check on you soon.”

Lucy wanted to wrap her I.V. cord around his neck and strangle him with it.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again. Lucy smelled her father’s aftershave before she saw him, trying to school her features into a neutral expression. 

“Hi, sweetheart,” he greeted, dressed in his BDUs rather than his official uniform. Beneath his aftershave, Lucy smelled sweat and dust. She remembered Alex telling her that he’d been at the D.E.O. site.

“Not up for company, Dad.” 

“I know this is hard…”

“Really?” She finally looked at him, unwillingly to hold back her disdain. “You’ve lost everyone under your command? Nearly died under tons of rubble? You forgot to share those bedtime stories.”

He drew up a little straighter, playing the role of commanding officer rather than concerned father. “The doctor tells me you’re making progress.”

“Did you go?” Lucy asked him pointedly. “To Kara’s funeral? To Alex’s?”

“Why would I?”

“For me? Because I couldn’t be there to honor my friends?”

“Supergirl is not your friend.”

Swallowing, Lucy wondered if her father had noticed his mistake. _Is_ not _was_. “I’ll bet it was a hell of a service. You must have caught some of it on television. There’s no way National City wouldn’t have celebrated their hero. Cat Grant would have made sure of that.”

“Yes. It was a big to-do,” he grumbled sarcastically. 

“How did she die? Kara…?”

“Lucy.”

“I deserve to know.” Her voice quivered because she still wasn’t absolutely sure this was all a ruse. 

“Apparently it was a device similar to the one that destroyed the D.E.O. It was modified to include kryptonite. There was nothing left of Supergirl to bury.”

Lucy’s jaw clenched, and she glanced at him again, catching the faintest trace of a smile on his lips before it vanished. It sounded plausible, like it could have happened, like it still might. “And Alex?” 

His features hardened, and Lucy wondered if Alex was making her father’s life a living hell outside these four walls. Knowing Alex, it was a safe bet, and Lucy was perversely pleased at the thought. 

“Strangled,” he said tightly. “By one of the enemy cleanup teams.”

“She saved my life, you know. If she hadn’t been in the D.E.O. that night, I’d be dead.”

“You weren’t supposed to be there at all.”

“Why are you doing this to me, Dad?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Taking care of you? Keeping you safe? You’re my daughter. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect you.”

“Is that what I’m doing here? Being _protected?_ ” Lucy looked away, her heart breaking. She was more sure than ever that Alex and Kara were still alive, but her relationship with her father was dying a slow, brutal death. God help her, she still loved him, but she hated him now, too. Lois had seen what a monster he could be. She’d tried to warn Lucy, but Lucy had been too glad to have all his attention for herself, to be the golden child for once, to listen.

“You’ll be back on your feet soon, and we’ll find you another post. A better one.”

“I’ve never been happier than when I was at the D.E.O.” Lucy watched as his eyes turned angry and cold. 

“That’s only because you came under alien influence. They corrupted you, twisted what you know to be true.”

“And what’s that?”

“Aliens are a threat to this planet, Lucy. They’re too powerful. Too much like gods, and the fickle masses are willing to follow and worship them. They have to be stopped.”

Lucy glared at him. “What you’re trying to do to me… it isn’t going to work,” she promised him.

General Lane smiled now. “It’s never failed before,” he said matter of fact, and Lucy felt sick that he wasn’t even trying to hide what he was doing to her. “It’s all just a matter of time, Lucy, and we’ve got all the time in the world to save you.”


	6. Chapter 6

“You sure about this?”

“For the seventh time, yes.” Cat shoved her penthouse door open, motioning Kara inside. The younger woman crossed the threshold reluctantly, her blue eyes curiously taking in the space as she fidgeted with her glasses, her top, her hair. Cat hadn’t seen Kara this nervous since her first week at CatCo. “Would you like some wine?”

“Alcohol doesn’t affect me.”

Cat shut and locked the door, setting the alarm before she turned back to Kara. “I suppose that’s a good thing. Can’t have you drinking and flying. Although what in the hell do you do to unwind?”

Kara smiled self-consciously as Cat shooed her down the hall and into the living room. “Actually, about the only thing that helps _is_ flying.”

Cat paused, one foot inside the kitchen, intrigued by Kara’s casual mention of her powers. She had a million questions, of course, she was a journalist after all, but she didn’t want to say the wrong thing and send the girl running. Kara was skittish enough already. “You’re welcome to do that if it will help.”

“No.” Kara linked her hands behind her back. “I’m… I’m good.”

Dropping her purse in a chair, Cat sauntered closer, reaching up to slip the overnight bag off Kara’s shoulder and set it on the floor. Those stunning blue eyes watched her, Kara’s gaze both intrigued and wary. “Sit,” Cat ordered.

Doing as she was told, Kara sank onto the edge of the couch before adjusting her glasses again.

“Stay,” Cat added playfully, and Kara’s lips twitched with amusement.

Cat wandered into the kitchen, retrieving an open bottle of white wine from the refrigerator and pouring them both a glass. While Kara was openly nervous at the intimacy of their situation, Cat was doing her best to hide any indication she felt the same. They had found an uneasy truce today, their relationship on fresh and unexplored ground, and Cat wasn’t sure where they went from there, but she couldn’t deny she was excited to find out.

Taking a deep breath, she scooped up the glasses and started to return to the living room, letting out a little yip of surprise when she found Kara right behind her. “First rule of you staying here,” she muttered. “Don’t do that again.”

“Sorry.” Kara winced, accepting one of the glasses. 

Cat studied her carefully, worried by the other woman’s weary appearance, and Kara allowed her perusal with a minimum of squirming. “Are you hungry?”

“Alex would tell you I’m always hungry.” Kara smiled bashfully. “But… I haven’t had much of an appetite this week.”

“It’s late, but I’m sure I could order something in.”

“You don’t have to do that, Ms. Grant.”

“Kara…” Cat hesitated, knowing the offer she was about to make would change things between them, put them on more even footing. There was power and intimacy in a name, in the permission to use it. “Call me Cat.”

Shy pleasure bloomed in the younger woman’s eyes, and Cat cursed her heart for speeding up in reaction. 

“Cat,” Kara murmured. “I know I called you that as… her. I just didn’t want to presume…”

“Ms. Grant when we’re in the office, but Cat is fine whenever we’re alone or with people we trust.”

Kara nodded once before taking a sip of her wine. “Oh wow. That’s good.”

Cat smirked. “Drink all you like. I have more in the cellar.” She took a sip of her own, musing how strange it was to share wine with Kara Danvers in her kitchen, although the strangest thing about the moment was how it didn’t feel strange at all. It was nice. Comfortable. Maybe too much so.

“I insist you eat something, and I’m a little hungry myself. What would you like? Pizza? Burgers? Sushi?”

Kara looked vaguely ill at the thought of food, but she was clearly willing to try to eat for Cat’s sake. Cat wasn’t above taking advantage of that. 

“There’s a burger place that delivers a block or two from here. I think you’d like them. They also have hot chocolate chip cookies I _occasionally_ indulge in after a difficult day.”

“Cookies?” Kara perked up a little, almost like a puppy. “Um… I could eat a few cookies.”

“What’s a few?”

“A dozen?”

Cat rolled her eyes in disgust, and Kara tried not to smile. “Let me guess. Super metabolism to go along with all those super powers?”

“Flying burns a lot of calories. And heat vision… Use that and I could clean out a whole buffet,” Kara joked.

“Do you really burn calories with your powers?” Cat asked dubiously.

“Would it make you feel better if I said yes and not that it was just my alien metabolism?”

Cat waved her away with a disgusted flick of her wrist. “Go. Relax. I’ll place our order.”

“But you don’t…”

“I’ve worked with you for more than two years. I know what you like on your burger.”

Kara stared at her a moment, the faintest trace of a smile still on her lips. “Thanks,” she said softly, “but I’m supposed to be here looking out for you.”

Shrugging, Cat took another sip of her wine, trying to keep the moment casual. “Who says this can’t be a mutually beneficial arrangement?”

“You should be careful then. Feed me enough cookies, and I might not want to leave.”

Cat swallowed, affected more than she wanted to admit by Kara’s borderline flirting. Where Cat’s mind went was dangerous and unprofessional, and it was sadly not the first time or even the hundredth that it had wandered down that inappropriate path. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Smiling, Kara wandered back toward the living room, leaving Cat to take another deep, shaky breath. She pulled an iPad on the kitchen island toward her, bringing up the burger place and placing an order that would make the owner’s night.

That business tended to, Cat polished off the rest of her glass and poured another, hoping it would ease her nerves. She spent a few minutes shoring up her mental and emotional walls where the other woman was concerned, checking her emails and wrapping up a few last work details for the day on her phone. Finally, Cat felt solid enough to seek Kara out again.

She was at the balcony door when Cat returned, looking out at the lights of National City. Even exhausted and hurting, Kara was still stunning, and Cat guiltily took in the sight of her for a long moment before drawing closer.

“Looks like the rain is finally stopping,” Kara murmured.

“Hmm.” 

“This view is incredible.”

“It should be. I certainly paid for it.”

Kara’s lips tipped into a half smile, and she turned to look at Cat, her face partially hidden in shadows from the light cast by the only lamp on in the room. “Why are you really doing this? Helping me and Alex?”

Cat had been waiting for the question all day, pleased to hear Kara finally find the courage to ask it. “Believe it or not, your cousin and I aren’t so different. We’re both for truth, justice, and the American way.” Cat sneered a little at the expression, but she meant it. “Lucy is a friend, and I want to help, and if General Lane murdered more than 200 people…” Cat trailed off, a cold, ruthless anger stirring in her guts at the thought of him hurting the woman next to her. “Well. He needs to be stopped.”

Kara was quiet a moment. “I feel like I should tell you I’m sorry.”

“For?” Cat took a sip of her wine, contemplating the myriad ways she could destroy Sam Lane.

“For lying to you. About who I was.”

“Oh.” Cat ran her thumb along the lip of her glass, weighing her response. “I didn’t understand at first,” she admitted slowly. “But I did come at you rather forcefully the last time.”

Kara grunted, and Cat smiled thinly.

“But I think I understand now. Perhaps it’s me that owes you an apology.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Ms. um… Cat.”

Cat’s eyes sparkled as she met Kara’s gaze. “You’ve saved my life more times than I can count, Supergirl.”

“And you’ve given me the advice that helped me become the hero National City can be proud of.”

“Then we’ll call it a trade.” Cat lifted her glass, and Kara grinned, clinking hers against Cat’s before they both took a sip.

“Thank you, Cat,” Kara finally said softly. “For everything.”

They stared at each other, emotion rising between them. Cat wondered what Kara would do if she closed the scant distance between them, if she kissed the damn girl the way she’d wanted to for so painfully long. 

The landline trilled harsh and loud into the moment. Cat didn’t know if she should be livid or relieved. She crossed the room and picked up the phone, talking briefly with the front desk before hanging up.

“The food is here. I ordered enough for an army.”

Kara was still watching her with an intensity in her blue eyes Cat couldn’t identify, but it left her warm all over, heat pooling low and heavy in her stomach. Having Kara there, keeping her close over the coming days, was going to be an endurance test in resisting temptation. But if Kara kept looking at her like that, like she wanted to devour Cat whole, Cat knew it was a test she was going to fail. 

A knock at the door finally jarred Kara into action. She smiled, looking more than a little confused and unsure of herself before she crossed to the door. 

Cat drained her glass of wine and went in search of another.

****

The lock gave with a minimal amount of fuss. Alex slipped inside, turning her attention to the security alarm before disarming it with ease. She shook her head at how painless it was to gain access to the apartment, promising herself she would upgrade Lucy’s security as soon as they had the other woman home.

Alex sighed. She shouldn’t be there. It was an invasion of Lucy’s privacy, but after tossing and turning for hours, Alex had found herself driving the streets of National City aimlessly until she’d wound up here. Nearly 2:00 in the morning, Alex hoped no one saw her break in. Explaining her presence to the police would be difficult since she wasn’t even all that sure why she was there herself.

She’d only been to Lucy’s apartment once. A handful of female D.E.O. agents had gone out to celebrate an engagement in the ranks, and Alex had been dragged along. Lucy had stuck to her like glue that night, still unfamiliar with almost everyone but pleased to have been included on the fun. Alex could still remember the way Lucy felt pressed up against her in the booth, her hot breath on her neck as she’d leaned in close to be heard over the raucous catcalls. They’d ended the night at a male strip club they’d tumbled into after too many bar hops to remember. Alex still wasn’t sure how she’d been talked into being the designated driver that evening, but she’d taken Lucy home when it was all over, easing her into bed and leaving a few Advil and a glass of water on the nightstand for her. Lucy’s cute, sleepy, and slurred, “Night, Alex,” had made the whole night worth it.

Wandering deeper into the apartment, Alex paid closer attention to the decor. Far more “girly” than her own apartment, Alex nevertheless found Lucy’s space charming and sophisticated, much like the woman herself. She stopped in front of some bookshelves, taking in all the photos from the people who mattered in Lucy’s life. Alex grinned when she spied one with Lucy, Hank and Vasquez all glaring with playful menace at the camera.

There were several with Lucy and her father, not unexpected but still disappointing. A few more featured Lucy with James during happier times, and Alex felt a twinge of jealousy. Even though James was on the other side of the country now, he’d always hold a special place in Lucy’s heart, and Alex kind of resented him for that now. 

The last picture made Alex’s breath catch. She reached up, slipping it off the shelf and tilting it toward the pale glow of the porch light. 

It was of her and Kara.

Alex swallowed past the lump in her throat. She didn’t even remember the picture being taken, although it was clearly at one of the rare game nights she’d been able to attend. They were on Kara’s couch, her sister’s arms wrapped around her shoulders as they both laughed at something, probably Winn, Alex mused. She could practically hear Kara’s laughter.

Reluctantly, she set the photo back down, noting it was in a beautiful frame, featured in a prominent place. Alex closed her eyes, recalling a particular shot of the major she had in her own apartment. They’d been inching toward something, Alex realized, both of them too stubborn or clueless to admit it until the world had literally come crumbling down around them.

Chest tight with emotion, Alex wandered around Lucy’s space, needing to feel close to the other woman, to reestablish some of the connection that had been taken from them. She found Lucy’s leather jacket over the back of a kitchen chair. Bringing it to her nose, Alex inhaled deeply. 

Kara was right. Lucy really did smell amazing.

Exhausted, Alex finally returned to the living room, crawling onto the couch and dragging Lucy’s jacket over her shoulders, surrounding herself in the other woman’s familiar scent. It wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it would do for now. She vowed then and there that if she got another chance with Lucy, she wouldn’t waste it. It was the last thought she had before she drifted off to sleep.

****

Cell phone pressed tightly to her ear, Lois paced her hotel room, listening with growing frustration to each unanswered ring. Her father hadn’t answered a single call since he’d taken Lucy, and Lois was beyond tired of leaving messages. She had to keep trying, though, her digital vollies against him the only way she had to reach him right now.

“Lois.”

Her heart jerked in her chest when his low, rumbling voice abruptly answered. His tone carried the ever present hint of disdain when he spoke to her. It had been there since high school, and Lois had no reason to expect it to ever go away. “Where is she?”

“Hello to you, too,” the general grumbled, and Lois could hear his footfalls in a quiet hallway as he spoke.

“Goddamn it, Dad. Where is Lucy? She’s my sister. You can’t keep me from her.”

“Spare me your drama, Lois. You and Lucy haven’t been close for years. When was the last time you two even spent a holiday together?”

He wasn’t wrong, and Lois’ stomach burned with guilt. He’d been steadily poisoning Lucy against aliens for years, instilling in her his fears and reservations about unwanted “immigrants,” but Lucy had never fully bought what their father was selling. She’d been wary of aliens, perhaps even distrustful, but her sister didn’t have the capacity to hate the way their father did. Still, it had affected their relationship, driving them further and further apart. When Lucy had met Supergirl, gotten to know her, it had changed everything. It had given Lois a link to her sister again, and she was damn well not going to see it severed when she and Lucy were slowly healing old hurts on both sides.

“At least tell me if she’s okay. Tell me she’s not scared and alone in whatever hole you stuffed her into.” Lois wondered if Lucy was close by, if she wasn’t listening helplessly to his end of the conversation.

“She’s confused, but we’re working on that,” the general said. “She’s getting the best care.”

Lois swallowed as bile rose, hot and sharp in her throat. “Dad,” Lois sighed. “What are you doing?”

“My job. Protecting the people I love. Protecting this planet. Speaking of which, I have a flight to catch.”

“I can’t let you get away with this,” Lois told him.

Her father stopped walking. “Get away with what?”

“I know what you’ve done. That you killed all those people at the D.E.O.” Alex had called her on her way to see Kara after talking to Max. Hearing the truth had sadly not been a surprise, but it had still caused her stomach to revolt. To know this man was a part of her, that he’d played a role in creating her, made her sick. 

“You’re mistaken. Those damn Kryptonians you care for so much did that.”

“Don’t try to bullshit me,” Lois snarled. “If Superman or Supergirl wanted to destroy the D.E.O. they wouldn’t need a laser to do it. I’ve brought down more powerful men than you. Don’t think I won’t go after you with everything I have.”

“Don’t let your infatuation with Superman fool you, Lois. Kryptonians are the enemy. Just because they look pretty and human doesn’t mean they are.”

“I’m going to stop you. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I know you’re painting a target on Superman’s and Supergirl’s backs. That whatever game you’re playing ends with them imprisoned or worse.”

“Always good to talk to you, Lois,” the general said on a sigh. “Someday you’ll see things my way.”

“The next time we talk will be when you’ve been arrested for treason and murder,” Lois promised him, tears beginning to track down her cheeks.

He hung up without another word.


	7. Chapter 7

The sun rose bright and warm over National City. Kara stood on Cat’s balcony, her eyes closed, chin tipped toward the sky. Her cells soaked in the warmth of the yellow sun, charging her depleted reserves, but the rays did little to help with her lack of sleep. Her brain felt slow, her limbs clumsy, but she didn’t dare try to rest, especially in Cat’s penthouse. She didn’t want to wake the woman when she inevitably started screaming.

“Hmm. Why am I not surprised you’re up with the sun?”

Kara turned as Cat stepped out onto the balcony, and her mouth went dry. The other woman was wearing a pair of silk, royal blue pajamas, her features devoid of makeup but no less captivating. Kara had never seen Cat look quite so disheveled before, but the sight of her like this was one she could get very, very used to.

Smiling shyly, Kara managed a one shoulder shrug, trying to get control of her breathing before Cat got any closer. While Kara suspected Cat might be aware of her crush, she didn’t think giving her former boss confirmation was a good idea. “It’s a nice morning.”

“You’re a morning person,” Cat lamented, disgusted. 

“I take it you’re not?”

“Eh.” Cat sidled over to the rail, looking out at the city. “I don’t mind mornings,” she admitted. “I’d mind them less if they didn’t come so _early_.”

Grinning, Kara enjoyed Cat’s profile, the woman lifting her spirits even more than the sun. Kara didn’t miss being an assistant, but she missed being able to sneak glimpses of Cat whenever she liked. “I made coffee.” She reached up to adjust her glasses and remembered they weren’t there, that she’d left them sitting on the nightstand.

“So I smelled.” Cat glanced at her, and Kara wondered what kind of picture she presented in her t-shirt and shorts, her feet bare. The older woman’s gaze traveled over her choice of sleepwear, lingering on Kara’s bare and muscular legs for a moment. “I actually had a cup before I came out here. I wouldn’t be fit for conversation otherwise.”

“Did you sleep all right?” Kara asked, liking the way Cat’s voice took on a hoarse, husky quality this time of day.

“Fine. But you didn’t.” Cat’s gaze sharpened on her. “I heard you pacing. You do sleep, don’t you?”

“Usually.” Kara leaned her elbows on the rail, studying the sunrise. She tensed marginally when Cat moved closer, mimicking her pose, their shoulders nearly brushing. Being this close to the other woman was its own kind of heaven and hell.

“I assume eating a dozen double chocolate chip cookies wasn’t to blame for your wakefulness.”

Kara smiled at the gentle teasing. “No.”

Cat was quiet, breathing deep and slow beside her, waiting for Kara to give her what she wanted without asking a thing. Kara figured it was an interview technique, a very effective one.

“I… uh… I’ve been having nightmares. Since the attack.” It was strangely freeing to admit it, but Kara hung her head, worried Cat would see her weakness as failure.

Cat was quiet for a long moment, the strengthening sunlight dappling over them as the city below them began to wake. “You worked search and rescue?” 

“It was more search and recovery.” Kara glanced at her, found Cat’s warm hazel eyes already on her. There was no judgment or disappointment in her gaze, and Kara couldn’t hold back the truth from this woman. She didn’t want to. “I don’t know. It just… brought it all back. The destruction of my planet. The loss of my family. Everything gets mixed up in my dreams.”

“When the laser struck… the look in your eyes… I’d never seen that before.” Cat inched closer, their arms finally touching. “You were terrified.” She looked up at Kara, unexpected compassion in her eyes that warmed the younger woman against her cold memories. “Now that I’ve seen you with Alex, I understand why.”

Leave it to Cat to know exactly what her trigger was. “When I saw what was left of the D.E.O...” Kara shuddered.

Hesitantly, Cat’s right hand stroked softly down Kara’s back. Cat had never touched her like that before, not even when Kara was Supergirl, and they exchanged a fleeting glance, both of them affected by the contact. 

“I don’t… I mean, Alex has been in danger before. Hell, I’ve put her in danger,” Kara admitted with difficulty. “But when I saw the fire, the way the structure had collapsed… I didn’t think anyone could have survived.” Kara swallowed roughly. “I thought I’d lost her. I thought…” She bit her lower lip, unable to blink back tears. “It was like Krypton all over again but somehow worse.”

“Kara…”

“In my dreams… she dies. Alex dies. I don’t… I don’t get there in time. I fail her. I lose… everything. Again.” 

Cat made a tiny, sympathetic sound in the back of her throat.

“And sometimes… sometimes it’s you.”

Cat gasped quietly at the revelation, and Kara wished she could take that truth back, wished she could unseen the images of Cat Grant, broken and bleeding in the remains of the rubble. Her chest still, her hazel eyes vacant.

“You can’t imagine what that’s like,” Kara said. “Night after night, watching the people you care for most taken from you.”

Her jaw quivered as she fought tears. Kara was so damn tired of crying, but as Cat’s hand returned to the small of her back in wordless comfort, a few refused her iron will and slipped silently down her cheeks, blurring her view of the city she’d come to love as her own.

“The first time I was in a war zone was during the first Gulf War.” Cat cleared her throat, her voice roughened with memories. “I was green. Practically neon.” She rolled her eyes. “Thought I knew it all. Could handle anything.”

Kara shifted in surprise, turning to lean her hip against the rail so she could watch Cat, the sun drying the tears on her face. She expected Cat’s touch to fall away, but it merely dropped lower to rest comfortably on Kara’s hip. Kara blinked, startled to realize she could actually feel the heat of Cat’s hand through her clothes when so often all she could detect was pressure. “I didn’t know you’d…”

“I was about your age, trying to prove myself, convince the world I was more than some gossip columnist.”

“Pretty sure you did,” Kara said with a hesitant but proud smile.

“Mmm.” Cat took a breath, and Kara knew the woman well enough to know when she was struggling to admit something, to allow someone to see even the slightest chink in her armor. It was a privilege to earn that level of trust from Cat, and Kara was aware of the moment’s import as she waited the other woman out. “An Iraqi daycare was hit by a Scud missile,” Cat said finally. “There were children inside, the same age as Adam.”

Shock and horror rippled over her. “Cat…” Kara whispered.

“I did my job. Filed my report. I’m not even sure it ever ran anywhere. The media only cared if Americans died.” Cat sighed and laced her fingers together on the rail. “You can well imagine what my dreams were like for months after that. That was about the time I developed a taste for bourbon.” She looked at Kara, understanding heavy in her gaze. “So I may not know exactly what you’re feeling, but I know what it’s like to be frightened of your dreams, of the way they want to twist things.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Cat looked back out at the city. “Maybe if we get Lucy back and make sure Sam Lane is punished that will help you rest a little easier.”

“It sure as hell won’t hurt,” Kara agreed. 

Cat was quiet a moment, but then she turned toward Kara again, and Kara’s breath hitched when she felt the light pressure of Cat’s fingers tightening in her t-shirt, tugging her intimately closer. “But you’re going to sleep tonight, Supergirl. I insist.”

“But…” Kara began to protest breathlessly. 

Cat tugged again, their bodies brushing. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

Kara swallowed, her senses deliriously heightening with Cat’s proximity. “You think you can make me?” She blinked, watching Cat’s eyebrow arch at the playful, flirty comment she hadn’t meant to utter.

Slowly, Cat smiled, and Kara’s knees went disgustingly weak. “I’m sure I can think of something.” Much to Kara’s disbelief, Cat winked at her and walked away, leaving Kara on the balcony in a mess of heat and hormones.

****

Cat took another sip of her scalding hot latte as she perused some of the emails she’d sent out the night before about Sam Lane. As expected, she’d already found a few people who met her criteria quite nicely. She would have some solid leads for Kara’s sister when she arrived within the hour.

“Seriously?”

Looking up, Cat slipped off her glasses to take in her unwanted visitor. “I know you were raised in a barn, Lois, but it is customary to knock in the civilized world.”

Lois Lane stepped inside Cat’s office and closed the door. While they were visible to prying eyes, no one would be able to hear her unless Lois got especially shrill. Cat watched her, waiting expectantly as the reporter crossed the room to stand before Cat’s desk. Lois did appear a little more resentful than usual for some reason, and Cat set aside her glasses, assuming she wasn’t going to get any work done until this impending outburst was completed.

“If you hurt her, so help me God, Cat…”

Cat arched an eyebrow, baffled. “Who are you on about now, Lane?” 

“Kara,” Lois growled, surprising Cat. “I may not know the girl very well, but what I do know is that if she has one dangerous flaw it’s that she trusts too willingly. If you ever publish anything...”

Cat’s spine stiffened at the implication. “I’ve known about Kara for some time now, Lois. What makes you think anything is going to change now that I have confirmation?” She pushed back from her desk and stood. “She told _you_?” she sneered to cover up her disappointment, aching to think Kara would trust Lois Lane of all people before she trusted her.

“Of course not.”

“Superman,” Cat realized with a sniff. “Seems like the one you should be worried about spilling Kara’s secrets is a little closer to home.”

Lois took a deep breath, some of the tension bleeding from her body. “Cat…”

“I would never,” Cat insisted as she came around the desk, bearing down on Lois, her voice dropping to a lethal purr, “expose Kara. Not only does National City need their hero, she’s…” Cat lapsed into abrupt silence, not sure what term fit Kara’s role in her life, what role she even wanted the younger woman to have, even if her imagination unhelpfully supplied a few suggestions.

Tilting her head, Lois regarded her curiously, sniffing blood in the water. “She’s what?”

“None of your damn business,” Cat decided, turning her back on the reporter before sinking onto her couch. 

“I’ll be damned,” Lois muttered. “You actually care about her.”

Cat decided she wouldn’t dignify that with a response.

Lois walked around her and sat on the opposite end of the couch, a small, predatory smile on her lips. “Don’t deny it, Kitty. I know a thing or two about caring for a Kryptonian.”

Cat merely glared.

“Those blue eyes and pretty smiles. Even when you want to hate them, you can’t.”

“Will there be a point to this thus-far pointless visit?”

Lois looked like she wanted to pry further, and Cat couldn’t really blame her. She’d have done the same if the shoe had been on the other foot. “I heard what you’re doing to help Lucy.” She took a breath, looking like she’d just swallowed antifreeze at the admission. “Thank you.”

“Let me write this down. A thank you from Lois Lane.”

“Don’t ruin the moment, Kitty.”

Cat rolled her eyes. They might despise one another most of the time, but Cat couldn’t deny there was a thread of affection under it all, along with a healthy swath of respect. “Kara told you about your father?” Her tone lacked its usual bite.

“Alex did.” Lois looked down at her hands where they rested in her lap. “You know I never got along with him. The last several years that’s only gotten worse.”

“Superman.”

“Superman,” Lois agreed. “He really thinks when it comes to aliens we should kill them first and ask questions later, although he’s not above stealing their technology and using it for the military’s gain.”

“He’ll kill them both if he gets the chance,” Cat told her seriously. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Neither am I.”

Cat believed her, her respect growing infinitesimally. “You’re too close to the story, Lois.”

“And you’re not?”

“I don’t share blood or family lineage with any of the parties involved.”

“No, but one of them is sleeping in your guest room. I’m assuming. Unless you’re sharing the bed?”

“Don’t be an ass.” Cat felt betrayed by her own body when a light blush broke out on her skin. There was no way a reporter as keen as Lois Lane didn’t notice, but much to Cat’s relief, Lois chose not to comment.

“I just…” Lois hesitated before she leaned in, her dark eyes intense. “My father is a very dangerous man, Cat. He could find any number of ways to kill you and make it look like an accident. Despite our history, I’d really rather not see you dead.”

“Why are you trying to warn me off?” Cat wondered, skeptical.

“I’m not. Honestly, we really need your damn help as much as it pains me. But I don’t think you fully realize what you’re getting into, and I can’t, in good conscience, let you charge into this head first without you understanding all the risks.”

“That’s why Kara is sticking close.” Cat leaned back and crossed her legs, glancing up at the bullpen and watching curious gazes go skittering in different directions. The wall of glass was acceptable when she wanted to keep an eye on her underlings, but the fact that they could, in turn, keep an eye on her was an annoying downside.

“Kara can protect you from guns and knives, she can’t from a fast acting poison slipped onto a doorknob or your favorite pen.”

Cat was mildly unnerved but not deterred. “I’ve gone after far more dangerous people than your father, Lois.”

“You have,” Lois allowed, “but most people know you’re too high profile to take out. My father? He’s willing to kill Supergirl. I think he’d like to get away with it, but if he can’t, I imagine he’s prepared to live with the repercussions. Just… be careful, Cat.”

“While I appreciate your contribution to my general paranoia, I won’t abandon Kara. I can’t.”

Lois nodded, regarding Cat with more understanding than the CEO thought the reporter capable of. “Fine. If I can’t warn you off then we’ll have to move fast. Once my father gets wind of what we’re doing…”

Cat had to agree. The faster they shut Lane down the safer things would be for everyone. “Kara and her sister have been prying into his life for nearly a week now. I assume you’ve been doing the same.”

“But they haven’t gotten too close. At most, my father probably thinks they’re a nuisance he plans on taking care of soon enough.” Lois pursed her lips. “You on the other hand… the power you wield as head of one of the largest media empires in the world? You’re going to scare him.”

“I’m not going to give him the chance to be scared. By the end of the day tomorrow, I’m determined to have Lucy back, and then God help your father, Lois. I already have a file on him an inch thick I’ve just been waiting for the right time to use. I predict it will be twice that size 24 hours from now.”

Lois sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Cat said tightly, but she knew there was no way in hell she wasn’t going to make sure Sam Lane was locked away when this was over.

“No. Don’t be sorry. I’m the one who looked the other way because he was my father. And now look where we are. All those people. What he’s done to Lucy.” Lois looked up at Cat. “But you should let me be the public face of taking him down.”

“So you can take all the credit? Keep his downfall from tarnishing your image?”

“So that he doesn’t realize the role you’re playing in all this.”

“Trying to protect me? Really?”

“Yes,” Lois insisted vehemently. “He won’t come after his own daughter.”

“Tell that to Lucy.”

The door swung open and Cat turned, unsurprised to see Kara lingering there. She was staring at Cat, fear clear in her blue eyes, and Cat cursed inwardly, realizing too late that Kara had been listening.

“Lois, do you mind if I speak with Cat a moment?” Kara asked, her voice tight.

“Sure.” Lois shot Cat an apologetic look. “I’ll wait in your office for Alex.”

“Thanks.” Kara didn’t acknowledge the friendly touch to her arm as Lois passed, her attention too fixed on Cat.

“Don’t.” Cat got to her feet as Kara stepped inside and closed the door. She rounded her desk, taking a prim sip of her cooling latte before settling in her chair as Kara came closer. 

“I can’t let you do this. Cat…” Kara’s voice broke, and a small piece of Cat’s heart shattered with it.

“Now you listen to me. I appreciate that you and Lois are concerned for my wellbeing, but the genie is out of the bottle, Kara. Just because you warn me off or walk away doesn’t mean I’m going to quit now.”

“I could take you somewhere no one would find you.”

“I have no desire to leave…”

“I didn’t mean voluntarily.”

Cat blinked as she heard the Girl of Steel manifest in Kara’s voice. It was actually fairly intimidating, and Cat’s stomach fluttered pleasantly in response to the other woman’s raw power if not the threat. “So you would treat me the way General Lane is treating his own daughter?”

Kara inhaled sharply, the verbal blow landing hard. Her features contorted in frustration. “Damn it, Cat.”

“I’m exactly where I want to be.” Cat stood, leaning against the side of her desk. As touched as she was by Kara’s concern, she was equally undeterred. “You aren’t the only one who gets to throw yourself into danger for the people she cares about.” 

“Don’t you understand?” Kara asked as she came closer. “I’ve lost so many people, Cat. A whole world full of them. I can’t lose you, too.”

The emotion moved Cat more than the words. Fear and anguish were heavy in Kara’s voice, and Cat wondered why the damn girl cared so much for her when Cat had spent much of their relationship being so cold and distant. “What makes you think I don’t feel the same way about you?”

Kara’s head came up in surprise, her blue eyes searching Cat’s features in disbelief. 

“I am not going to let him hurt you,” Cat vowed. Her own voice wavered at the thought of Sam Lane succeeding and taking Kara from her. She would die before she let that happen. Cat cleared her throat, feeling raw at having exposed too much of her soul to Kara already. 

“Cat,” Kara whispered, drifting dangerously near, leaving scant inches between them and exerting her own gravitational pull that tempted Cat even closer.

Cat glanced at the bullpen once more and scowled as her team looked away. She stepped back, returning to her chair, desperately trying to shore up her defenses against a woman who so often left her feeling defenseless. “Now let’s stop arguing about who cares more and stop this bastard. Hmm?”

****

“Are we going to do this again, Major?”

Lucy set her jaw, staring straight ahead.

Dr. Gibbons moved into her line of sight deliberately, but Lucy didn’t acknowledge the older woman, pretending to look right through her. Lucy would put the psychiatrist’s age in her mid-forties, assuming the woman was even really a doctor. She was in shape, the cut of her biceps visible through the olive green blouse she wore, and Lucy had to admit trying to disable the woman in her current condition would not end well for her. Gibbons hair was a dull red, her eyes an even duller gray, and she had one of the cruelest smiles Lucy could ever remember seeing on another woman.

“I’m here to help, Major.”

Canting her head, Lucy glanced up at the doctor, glaring.

“You don’t believe me?” Gibbons asked sweetly.

Lucy still didn’t answer. Gibbons had tried to get her to talk for several hours the day before. The only thing Lucy had communicated was a raised middle finger. 

“The longer you fight this, the longer you’ll be here. Who are you fighting us for, Lucy? Hmm? There’s no one left to go home to.”

Apparently her mouth wasn’t the only thing cruel about Dr. Gibbons. Lucy pictured Alex, how she’d look next to the ocean, under the stars. They were going to have that damn date even if it was just in her imagination over and over and over again. 

“Is it James?”

The mention of her ex surprised her, and Lucy looked at the doctor again, letting the woman believe whatever she wanted as long as they left James alone. They hadn’t spoken in months, but that didn’t mean she wished him harm.

“Supergirl? A little hero worship, perhaps? She’s gone, Lucy. Obliterated. Sent back to the stars from whence she came.” Gibbons seemed to enjoy that thought a bit too much. Lucy could see why her father had chosen this woman. “Or maybe it’s the sister.”

Lucy willed her features to betray nothing. 

Gibbons smiled, leaning in closer, the cloying scent of her heavily floral perfume nauseating. Lucy swallowed, wondering if she’d given herself away somehow or if the doctor was merely taking shots in the dark. 

“Alex. Isn’t that her name? I saw her photo in your file. She was very pretty. Such a shame she’s dead.”

Lucy couldn’t control the minute twitch in her jaw as her teeth clenched. She continued to stare straight ahead, clinging furiously to the belief that Alex Danvers was out there somewhere trying to find her.

“Being a lawyer, I assume you need proof, however. I’ll bring the crime scene photos next time so you can see with your own eyes. I have to warn you, though, they’re very graphic.”

Lucy looked at her then, tiny flickers of fear and doubt worming back in. Photos could be faked, she reminded herself. She’d seen it done, quite convincingly in fact. She couldn’t trust anything these people put in front of her. She wouldn’t.

“Well,” the doctor murmured. “You enjoy your bout of defiance for now. It won’t last. It never does. Once you realize this is pointless, we can make everything so much better, Lucy.” She patted Lucy’s leg like they were old friends.

Gibbons left then, her heels clicking across the floor. Lucy swallowed again when the door closed and she was alone once more. The doctor’s perfume still lingered in the air, thick and sickening, blending with the smell of antiseptic.

Lucy wasn’t an idiot. Things were only going to get worse for her, she acknowledged, but she had to remind herself that if they were so desperate to get her to believe Alex was dead then she more than likely wasn’t. 

Maybe she was lying to herself, Lucy allowed, but a lie beat whatever illusion her father wanted her to believe. The only reality she would accept was the one where Alex Danvers was still alive. 

****

“How is he?” Kara asked when Alex hung up her phone and leaned her head back against the wall of Kara’s office.

“About like you’d expect.”

“Pissed?”

“So very pissed,” Alex agreed. “Although I’m not sure what Hank’s more upset about. What Lane’s up to or that he’s in no condition to stop him.” She sighed, staring at the phone in her hands.

Kara ached for her sister, wishing there was something, anything she could physically do to make this whole situation better. She was the strongest woman on the planet and she couldn’t stop Alex’s pain. “You okay?”

Alex lifted her head slowly, her brown eyes weary and tired. “Yeah. I just…” She swallowed and Kara waited her out, not sure what was on her sister’s mind. “I miss her.”

A lump formed in Kara’s throat, but her heart soared a little at the admission. She wanted someone for Alex, someone her sister could love and who would love her just as fiercely in return. Alex deserved it more than anyone Kara knew. “Lucy?”

Nodding, Alex slumped back against the wall. “I was such an idiot. I didn’t see it. Didn’t see what was happening until it was too late.”

Slowly, Kara got up from her desk and came to sit next to Alex on the couch. “You’re not an idiot. Stubborn and bull headed maybe…” She teased cautiously.

“Hey,” Alex groused, shoving at Kara’s knee. They both lapsed into silence again. “I went by Lucy’s apartment last night.”

Kara said nothing, trying to imagine how she would feel, what she’d do, if Cat had been the one taken. Silently, she reached out, gripping Alex’s hand in her own and squeezing. “We’ll find her.”

“I know. I just…” Alex sighed. “What about you? You’ve been really quiet today,” she changed the subject.

“Alex…”

“It hurts too much to talk about Lucy right now,” Alex admitted, and Kara knew her sister had to be at the end of her mental and physical rope to be so brutally honest about what she was feeling. “So… so let’s talk about you. Something has been on your mind all day. Spill.”

Most of the people they needed to speak with were in Metropolis so Alex had spent the day on Kara’s phone. Lois had left for Washington a few hours earlier, and Cat was skyping with so many members of the military she almost looked like she was conducting a coup from her office. For her part, Kara had run down some of Cat’s other leads, using her super speed to do ten times the research in half the time.

Kara fiddled with her glasses before slipping them off entirely. “I just… Lois said something this morning… about her father. What he’s capable of. I shouldn’t have brought Cat into this.”

“Why did you? As much as I appreciate what she’s doing to help, you know this wasn’t what I wanted.”

Alex’s voice was gentle, none of the frustration or judgment Kara had expected to hear. “I don’t know.”

“I think you do, Kara.”

Kara looked away, not having expected Alex to notice what she was going through under the circumstances. 

Alex leaned forward, her leather jacket creaking softly. “I knew you had a crush on her,” she said. “But what I saw last night…”

“Alex, don’t.” Kara cast a pleading look her way before staring at the floor. 

“Kara.” Alex’s tone was patient but insistent. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d fallen in love with Cat Grant?”

Chest aching with holding the truth in, Kara swallowed hard. “I’m not… that’s crazy,” she tried to deflect. 

“It’s not crazy. What’s crazy is the way Cat looks at you when you’re not paying attention.”

Slowly, Kara looked up at her sister, finding a sad and worried smile waiting for her. “What?” she whispered.

“I knew you had a crush,” Alex repeated. “And I guess on some level I knew it was getting a little more serious since James left, but I’d never seen Cat’s side of the equation. I never realized what was going on between you two is… mutual.”

“It’s… it isn’t.” Kara refused to consider what Alex was saying, even though her sister was an expert in body language. “She’s… Cat Grant, and I’m just…”

“Supergirl.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Maybe Cat could fall for a superhero, but not me. Not lowly Kara Danvers.”

“Cat Grant is willing to risk her life to save you, and the way she was looking at you last night…” Alex sighed. “That was not the way a boss looks at their employee unless they want a visit from HR.”

“Alex…”

“Look, Kara. I have some serious reservations about this, but… but I ignored what I was feeling for Lucy and now look where we are.”

“I can almost buy that Cat cares about me in some... maternal… sort of way…” Kara winced at the thought. 

Alex huffed out a short laugh. “Maternal. Right. There was nothing maternal in that look, Kara. That was the look of a woman who’d gladly take you home and rip your clothes off.”

The suggestion left Kara more than a little breathless.

“And _that’s_ the look of someone who would happily let her,” Alex murmured, bemused, gesturing vaguely at Kara’s face.

“You really think…?” Kara couldn’t keep the hint of hope from her voice, having never dared imagine Cat would ever return her feelings.

Alex nodded deliberately. “I can’t speak to whether or not Cat has romantic feelings for you, although willing to risk everything for a person would certainly suggest as much, but she definitely has the hots for Kara Danvers.”

“So help me, Alex, if you’re messing with me…” Kara warned, only partially playing.

A knock at the door had Kara scrambling for her glasses and slipping them on just as Cat stepped inside, pausing to study them both curiously. Kara was certain her face was as red as her cape, and she cursed Alex for getting her so distracted she didn’t hear Cat coming. 

“Any luck?” Cat asked them, frowning when neither woman seemed capable of eye contact.

“Some,” Alex answered, sparing her sister a few moments to compose herself. “A few people were willing to tell us the types of facilities to look for. We got a couple of names of doctors General Lane has used in the past. Kara’s been tracking them down.”

“Lois just checked in. She met with the general’s ex-wife. The second of three. Got us a few more names, but I’m not so sure we’re going to need them.” Cat smiled.

Kara was powerless to keep from smiling back. “You got something,” she guessed.

Cat waved a post-it note between her fingers before handing it to Alex, another still rested in her hand. “Dr. Judith Gibbons. She’s worked with Lane on several cases. Apparently she’s his go-to- girl.”

“A medical doctor?” Alex asked, skimming her notes to see if she’d come across the same name.

“Psychiatrist,” Cat said in a more subdued voice.

Alex’s features went terrifyingly blank. “Let me guess,” she nearly snarled. “Gibbons is adept in brainwashing techniques.”

Cat pursed her lips and nodded once. “Just when you think the general can’t sink any lower.”

Fear for Lucy churned through Kara’s guts at the news, but she shot her sister a worried look as Alex stood and began to pace. “Where is this Dr. Gibbons?”

“Still trying to track that down. All I know is she is on assignment somewhere in the northwest which narrows our window somewhat.” Cat moved closer, surprising Kara by gripping Alex’s elbow. “They haven’t put a dent in that brilliant brain of Lucy’s, and we’ll get to her before they do.”

“She’s hurt, Ms. Grant. They could be drugging her. Lying to her…” Alex’s throat bobbed as she swallowed roughly.

“I imagine they’re doing both,” Cat said honestly. “But Lucy’s smart. She’ll question everything if only for the joy of arguing with them about it.”

The fingers of Alex’s right hand fisted around the post-it note as she raked her left hand through her hair in frustration. “I hate knowing what he’s doing to her and I can’t…”

“I have more,” Cat told her before her gaze shifted back to Kara. “I talked to a captain who would have been a major now if it weren’t for Sam Lane.”

“What did he do?” Kara sneered weakly. “Hang up a Superman poster?”

“She,” Cat corrected before glancing back at Alex, her hazel eyes holding an uncharacteristic hint of sympathy. “Apparently she dated Baby Lane.”

Alex went still at the news, telling Cat and Kara all they needed to know about Alex’s feelings for the missing woman. 

“Were they…?” Alex hesitated, thrown.

“Were they serious?” Kara asked, suspecting the truth Alex needed to know.

“They dated for about nine months. Beyond that, I didn’t pry. I was more interested in what she knew about Lucy’s father rather than Lucy herself.”

“This woman… she’s willing to talk?” Alex drew in another shaky breath, and Kara wanted nothing more than to simply hug her until this whole mess was over.

“More than willing. She’s happy to spill a few secrets if someone goes to talk to her in person. While she’s willing to be court-martialed if need be, she’s not going to broadcast military secrets on Skype. Go figure. ”

“You have the address?” Alex asked, her voice subdued. 

Cat handed her the other post-it note. “I’ve arranged a flight for you. It leaves in two hours for Houston. Her name is Mia Hernandez. She’s expecting you.”

Kara stood, moving closer to Alex. “Do you want me to go? I can be there in no time.”

“No,” Alex answered quietly. “You stay with Ms. Grant. Keep her safe.” She dipped her head in wordless thanks at the CEO. “I’ve got this.”

“Alex.” Kara gave into the compulsion and pulled her sister into a tight hug. “Maybe by this time tomorrow Lucy will be home.”

“God, I hope so.” Alex gripped her hard before releasing her. “Take Ms. Grant home. Get some sleep. I’m going to need you tomorrow.”

Kara nodded, willing to try for Alex’s sake.

“Thank you, Ms. Grant,” Alex said sincerely. 

“Call me Cat, Alex. Would you like me to come with you?” Cat offered, surprising the sisters. “I coaxed her this far.”

“She cared about Lucy at the expense of her career. Something tells me she’ll give me everything we need.”

“I have a file on her in my office. If you’ll come with me, I’ll get it for you.”

****

Alex welcomed the opportunity to get Cat alone if even for a moment. She wearily followed her through the winding hallway and through the CEO’s washroom before emerging into her office. “I really do appreciate all your help with this.”

“It’s what I do,” Cat told her simply, rounding her desk and gathering the file on Hernandez. “Shutting down men like General Lane has made me a very rich woman.”

Alex smiled thinly. “Still, you’re putting yourself out there. I’m grateful. I know Kara is, too.”

Cat tapped the folder on her desk and regarded Alex curiously. “Something else on your mind, Agent Danvers?”

Alex smiled, the expression less than friendly, impressed by how easily Cat had read her intentions.

“I figure this is the part where you tell me to stay away from your sister? Or that if I hurt her in any way you’ll kill me?” Cat appeared bemused rather than insulted.

Eyeing her for a moment, Alex had to appreciate that Cat wasn’t going to bullshit her about Kara. “She can probably hear us, you know. But yeah, you hurt her and I’ll kill you,” she said for form.

Cat pursed her lips. “You’re a good sister, Alex.” Making walking in three inch heels look easy, Cat sauntered closer to hand Alex the file. “And rest assured, the last thing I want is to see Kara hurt. That’s why I’m doing all this.”

They stared at one another.

“Just…” Alex took a breath. “Whatever is going on with you two, remember that Kara is only invincible on the outside, okay?”

Cat uncharacteristically looked away. “I know a thing or two about pretending to be tougher than you are to the outside world.”

“I’ll just bet you do.” Alex smiled weakly. “If you can, try to get her to sleep.” Alex started to walk away.

“She’s having nightmares.”

Surprise rippled through her, but Alex was more stunned that Kara had confessed that information to Cat and not to her. “I figured.” She paused, considering how much to encourage what was happening between her sister and the CEO. “When she was a kid, she had a lot of nightmares about Krypton’s destruction. She’d wake up screaming every night.”

Cat absorbed the information, her jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. “What finally stopped them?”

“I started crawling into bed with her every night and holding her. It was the only thing that worked.”

“You guarded her dreams,” Cat said softly, her gaze regarding Alex with a sudden fondness the agent didn’t really know how to handle.

“I damn well tried, but more than anything, I think Kara just needed to know she wasn’t alone. It’s probably the thing that scares her most… being alone.”

Cat took that in, and Alex could almost see the wheels turning in that sharp brain.

“Like I said, you’re a good sister.” Cat glanced at her watch. “You should go if you’re going to make your flight. Your airline and rental car information are in there.” She tapped the edge of the folder.

“Take care of her?” Alex pleaded hesitantly, trusting this woman, for now, with her sister’s heart.

“You have my word.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay with this chapter, I've been traveling. For those waiting on a Written in the Stars update as well, I hope to have that up in another day or so!

Eyes closed, Lucy envisioned cool sand between her toes, the rush of the ocean as it sluiced over her feet. It wasn’t hard to imagine what kissing Alex Danvers would feel like. Lucy suspected it would be like flying; heart soaring, body floating, the temptation to stay in the clouds and never come down. What was hard was opening her eyes to her prison, letting the daydream fade to the back of her mind as the door opened and O’Bannon returned.

“Major,” he greeted. “How are we feeling today?”

“Like I’m being held prisoner by the military I used to serve.”

O’Bannon hesitated, and Lucy once again got the sense he wasn’t completely comfortable with this arrangement. 

“I want a phone.”

“Major…” He sighed as he checked her pulse before making a note in his chart. “You’ve been told…”

“I want to talk to Lois. My sister. Or is she dead, too?”

“All right,” he murmured, surprising her. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

Lucy lapsed into silence as he began to treat her leg, surprised at his willingness to let him talk to Lois. Her stomach knotted, doubt beginning to creep back in again. Was he playing head games with her? Would he actually let her talk to her sister? Would she be able to even trust the person on the other end of the line was Lois?

Closing her eyes again, Lucy tried to quiet her mind, to sort out what was real from what they wanted her to believe. Things were starting to blur the slightest bit, and that knowledge was terrifying.

****

Thanks to a screaming baby in coach, Alex kissed her shot at a nap goodbye. At least she was comfortable, snuggled into a first class window seat, all that was left of her vodka on the rocks melting in an honest-to-God glass on her tray table. She owed Cat Grant for more than just the lead.

Sighing, she stared out her window at the night, her mind so tired she could barely think, let alone decide what she needed to think about. Lucy. General Lane. Kara. Kara and Cat…

Yeah, she really didn’t want to think about that last one. Kara was in deeper than she’d realized, and Alex suspected Cat was, too. Although Cat seemed to make Kara happy, and as long as that was the case then Alex would be happy for them. Maybe Cat would be able to talk some sense into Kara where Alex couldn’t and get the younger woman to rest.

Taking a sip of her vodka-tinged ice water, Alex pulled out the file Cat had given her on Hernandez and flipped it open. Her stomach soured slightly at the photo of the stunning woman inside. Lucy had damn good taste. It made Alex wonder why in the hell the major would ever look at her twice.

After a few minutes of reading, Alex could see why Cat had zeroed in on the captain. Her skills were impeccable, but she was a little bit of a hothead who had trouble keeping her mouth shut when she disagreed with her superiors. That flaw hadn’t proved to be much of a deterrent until she’d started dating General Lane’s daughter.

There was a photo of Lucy and Hernandez together, and the sight hit Alex like a punch in the gut. They were canoodling, as the gossip rags like to call it, at some restaurant in a tucked away booth. The image was dark, but there was no denying it was Lucy being thoroughly kissed by the captain. Alex took a breath and stared back out at the night for a moment.

Taken before DADT had been repealed, the photo would have set off a firestorm when someone had given it to the general. Alex suspected he might have had Lucy followed, not willing to believe someone random had been cruel enough to possibly out Lucy to her father.

Lane had tried to threaten and bribe the captain away from his daughter. It hadn’t worked. Hernandez had stayed with Lucy for another three months until Lucy had received her promotion to major and Hernandez had been reassigned to a less prestigious post under a hard ass that owed the general a few favors. She’d eventually resigned and taken a position in the private sector and seemed to be doing well for herself now.

As jealous as Alex was of the other woman, she had to admit Hernandez got the raw end of the deal. Still, Alex wondered if Lucy missed her. If they kept in touch. She wondered if she even had the right to ask.

Glancing at her watch, Alex reviewed the file again, committing the details to memory. With any luck, Hernandez would hold the key to finding the woman they were both willing to risk their careers for.

****

Cat watched as Kara pushed her glasses down, her gaze sweeping over the apartment as they stepped inside, and she shut and locked the door behind them. “All clear?” she joked faintly.

Kara nodded before facing her in the hallway. “Hopefully the general is too preoccupied with trying to kill me to worry about what you’re up to.”

Wincing at that thought, Cat stepped closer as Kara shrugged out of her light jacket. “Was that supposed to be comforting?” She took the jacket, enjoying the glancing touch as their fingers brushed, before she hung it up in the hall closet.

“Someone is always trying to kill me these days. It’s my new normal.”

Cat snorted at that. “I’ve always felt if someone wasn’t trying to sue me then I wasn’t doing my job. I suppose that’s similar.”

Kara’s answering smile was weary but genuine.

Cat reached up, Kara’s blue eyes watching her curiously as Cat carefully slipped her glasses off. “Not that you don’t look quite fetching in them,” Cat murmured, savoring Kara’s surprise at the compliment, “but you don’t need those here.” It was strange how much of a difference those glasses made, how removing them made Kara Danvers disappear, but it wasn’t Supergirl who took her place. It was the woman in between, Kara Zor-El, who stood before Cat now, and she was temptingly beautiful.

Kara watched as Cat set the glasses on an end table. They were a crutch, something Kara used to hide behind, something that could keep her hands busy when she was nervous. Cat smiled faintly when she thought about how often Kara fidgeted with them around her.

“I asked Ella to make us some dinner. It should be in the refrigerator.”

“I can heat that up if you’d like to change.”

Cat stepped out of her heels, sighing with relief. “I think it’s lasagna. I wouldn’t…” She motioned at Kara’s eyes. “Unless you’re going to use super speed to clean up after yourself.”

Kara rolled her eyes. The moment felt domestic, easy, and Cat tried not to think about how nice it would be to end every day this way, how warm and comfortable it felt having Kara in her life like this. 

“I’ll just be a moment.”

“Take your time.” Kara smiled in a way that made Cat wonder if she wasn’t feeling the same.

Leaving the younger woman to dinner, Cat strolled down the hall and into her bedroom, chucking her shoes in the closet with out-of-character disregard. She changed into her pajamas, the same ones as the night before. They were her favorite, and judging by the way Kara’s eyes had roamed appreciatively over her that morning, apparently the younger woman approved of them as well.

Cat sat on the edge of her bed, listening as Kara puttered around the kitchen. She’d been aware of Kara’s crush for some time, but she kept telling herself it was harmless, that it was more professional admiration than personal attraction. A side benefit of promoting her was that it was supposed to end, but instead, it had only gotten stronger, on both sides of the equation. 

Her trip to Europe had been torture. Being apart from Kara for so long had been physically painful. She’d missed Kara’s smiles, their easy banter, the closeness they’d shared after hours on her balcony just talking about their day. 

She was a lot of things, Cat acknowledged, but a fool wasn’t one of them. This thing with Kara was too inevitable to ignore, too powerful to fight. It has been getting intolerable before the destruction of the D.E.O., but with the general standing a real chance of harming Kara or worse, Cat couldn’t go on pretending like she didn’t care, like she didn’t want to hold on to Kara and never let her go.

But Kara would never make the first move, would never imagine Cat could feel the same. The girl always undersold herself and her importance to everyone but her sister. Cat wondered what Alex had managed to do to convince Kara of how very much she mattered.

Cat sighed. She had a plan in place for the evening, unsure if her choices were the wisest ones, but time was slipping from them too fast. There were too many dangers threatening what they had, what they could be, and she’d fought this thing with Kara for so long. She didn’t want to fight it anymore, and she suspected Kara didn’t, either.

Stomach tumbling with nerves, Cat wandered back to her kitchen. She found Kara setting the table, and when Kara saw her, she handed Cat a glass of wine. Their fingers brushed once more, but this time Kara’s touch lingered too long to be casual. Cat flushed pleasantly, her gaze holding Kara’s for a heavy moment. 

“Figured you could use it,” Kara said, watching Cat with her brow slightly furrowed, as if she sensed somehow this night was different than others they’d shared.

“You have no idea,” Cat murmured, appreciating the bottle Kara had chosen for their dinner. “You’re getting better.”

“At the wine?” Kara said with a small smile, clearly remembering a few times when she hadn’t selected well, at all. “Hanging around you gives me culture.”

Cat laughed lightly, and Kara enjoyed her amusement. “Any word from Alex?”

Kara nodded. “She just landed. She’s on her way to Hernandez’s home now.”

“I have a good feeling about this one.”

“Me too.” Kara took a sip of her own wine as the scent of their dinner began to waft through the kitchen. “It’s hard, though. To sit still. To wait.” She sighed. “Lucy’s out there and she needs us, and meanwhile her father…”

“Your impetuousness is going to get you in trouble one of these days,” Cat scolded, suspecting the same might soon be said of her own.

“You assume it hasn’t already. Don’t you remember nearly firing me for complaining about you naming me ‘Supergirl?’”

Cat smiled at the memory. She’d never had any intention of firing the girl. Kara had been too damn good at her job. It didn’t hurt to remind her employees who wielded the power from time to time, however. “Still hate the name?”

“It grew on me,” Kara replied with playful grumpiness. She watched Cat for a moment. “I never… really thanked you.”

“For naming you?”

“For all your advice. You might not have known you were giving it to her as well as me, but… you really helped me find my way.”

“If Supergirl were here, what would you suggest she do?” Cat murmured in a fairly decent impersonation of her former assistant. 

“Calm the hell down,” Kara repeated Cat’s advice and the CEO chuckled. “And you were right. You usually are.”

“Usually?” Cat teased. 

Kara smiled, her gaze drifting over Cat’s features with appreciation before settling on her lips only to look away. Cat’s stomach quivered in reaction. “Anyway, thank you for helping her so much.”

“It’s interesting.” Cat licked her lips after taking another sip of wine. “How you talk about Supergirl in the third person sometimes.”

“She…” Kara snorted faintly. “I just… she’s not who I am. Not really. She’s a symbol. She’s what I can do. But under the cape and the ‘S’ it’s just me. Just Kara.”

“Kara Zor-El.”

Kara looked at her in surprise.

“That’s the woman I’m enjoying getting to know now. The woman who is equal parts Kara Danvers and Supergirl. The woman who is just trying to find how she fits on this borrowed world.”

“I’m not that terribly exciting.”

Cat glared.

“I’m not,” Kara said on a laugh. “I mean… under the powers and the whole alien from another planet thing, I’m kind of boring. I like binge-watching TV shows with my sister, reading books, and painting.”

“You paint?” That was new information. Cat inched closer, enjoying this conversation immensely. 

Kara shrugged, clearly unsure what to do with Cat’s interest and yet soaking it up. “Not often. Not a lot of time when you’re out saving the city,” she joked.

Cat reached out and caught one of Kara’s hands as it fidgeted with the lip of her wine glass. She heard the younger woman’s slight gasp of surprise at the contact, and Cat couldn’t deny she liked the sound, that she hoped to hear it again. “I always thought you had the hands of an artist.” Cat gently rotated Kara’s wrist and Kara let her, her breath stuttering again as Cat’s thumb eased across her palm. “It’s still hard to imagine sometimes… what you can do with these, how powerful they are.” She glanced up into Kara’s blue eyes. 

Kara’s fingers twitched as Cat’s gentle touch continued. “When I first came to Earth, I… I lost a lot of sensation here. It’s almost like a kind of nerve damage, I suppose.”

Hazel eyes sharpened. “Can you feel this?” Cat moved her fingers over Kara’s palm again, down to her wrist.

“I can, but not like I would have on Krypton. Not like you do.” Kara smiled wryly. “Part of the trade off for being bulletproof and mostly impervious to heat and cold.”

“Was that a problem?” Cat asked softly, aware she was moving into very personal territory, but her curiosity wouldn’t be denied. “For James?”

Kara cleared her throat and looked away. “Um… my sense of touch gets…” She blushed lightly.

“Stronger with arousal?” Cat guessed, a knowing smile spreading across her mouth. Relief fluttered through her as well. She had plans for Kara Danvers, and they involved the younger woman feeling pleasure rather than pain. 

“Something like that.” Kara watched as Cat’s fingers continued to trace patterns on her palm, clearly affected by the touch. “Um… it wasn’t anything physical that ended things with James. I just… I think he was more in love with the symbol and not… me. Every time I didn’t meet the ideal of what he thought I should be there was friction. I was supposed to conform rather than him accepting maybe I was more… human… than he wanted.”

“Then he’s a fool,” Cat said softly, reluctantly turning the younger woman loose.

Kara smiled. “Thank you, Cat, but it’s okay. James didn’t... “ She shook her head, trying to find the right words. “When things were good with him they were just… nice. Normal. After thinking that’s all I ever wanted, normal suddenly wasn’t enough.”

“You’re not normal, Kara, and you wouldn’t be even without your powers. You need someone who stimulates you, challenges you, pushes you.”

“Pushes? Sounds like I should be dating you,” Kara murmured before her gaze hesitantly swept up and met Cat’s, swallowing her whole.

Cat hesitated, sensing Kara was doing a little pushing of her own. 

The timer on the oven chimed, breaking the moment, but Cat wasn’t a woman to let an opportunity pass her by. “Maybe you should,” she teased back.

****

It was painfully late, the well-to-do street Alex found herself on hushed and still save for the sprinklers that soaked the well-manicured lawn behind her. Many of the homes were tucked away behind gates, the noise and commotion of the city a distant thought for the residents there. A white Land Rover sat in the driveway on Alex’s left and she smiled thinly as she knocked on Mia Hernandez’s door. Apparently civilian life had its perks, and when it came to General Lane, Alex hoped success was the best revenge for Hernandez.

After a few moments a lock was thrown, and Alex eased her shoulders back, bracing herself as the door swung open and she came face to face with an intimate part of Lucy’s past.

Hernandez was shorter than Alex by an inch or so, her dark, wavy hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail Kara would have approved of. Her eyes were a warm, pale brown, and Alex could well imagine what a striking pair she and Lucy had made when they were together. Jealousy made her stomach ache, but Alex willed it down, needing this woman to get answers.

“Agent Danvers?” Hernandez seemed to be sizing Alex up in equal measure.

“Just Alex now. Seems we have someone in common who likes to detour our career trajectories.”

Hernandez stared at her for a moment longer, and Alex endured the scrutiny quietly and without complaint. “That’s one way to put it.” Hernandez stepped back and motioned for Alex to enter. 

Alex stepped inside, impressed with the wood and gray tones of the short foyer and the living room beyond. Apparently they shared more than just a taste in women. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, especially so late.” She offered her hand and Hernandez shook it, her grip firm and callused like Alex’s own.

“Ms. Grant can be very persuasive.”

“You have no idea,” Alex murmured, thinking of her sister.

“Want a beer?”

“A beer would be great.”

Alex followed the other woman into the living room where Hernandez went behind a well stocked bar, slipping two bottles out of the mini fridge and twisting off the caps before handing one to Alex. 

“So it’s true. The jackhole actually kidnapped his own daughter?”

“He did. Lucy was injured in... an accident. While she was recovering he used his proxy to have her moved.”

“Ms. Grant said he had her sedated against her will.”

“I’m afraid so.”

Hernandez sighed before coming back around the bar and leaning against it. “Wish I could say I’m surprised. He was absolutely obsessed with her when we were together.”

“Obsessed how?” Alex asked uneasily.

“Just… way uptight about everything she did. Not so much to her face, you know? It was all behind the scenes, controlling all these little pieces of her life. If she stepped out of line, he found ways to rein her in.” She took a sip of her beer. “I’m not saying he’s a perv or anything, but he’s a very scared man. Scared of aliens. Scared of losing his power. Scared of losing her. I understand the sister bolted and so did a wife or three. All he had was Lucy and work.”

“Not much has changed.” Alex took a swig from her own bottle, appreciating the chips of ice that clung to the neck and the cold tang of the alcohol on the back of her tongue. “He just has more to be afraid of now.”

“You mean his hang up about Superman? Damn. Dude had his undies in a bunch over the Man of Steel. Going on about him being a threat to anyone who would listen.”

Alex grinned faintly at the description. She rather liked Hernandez, even if she kinda didn’t want to. “And now he’s having a similar freak out over Supergirl.”

“Is she part of this?”

“What makes you ask that?” Alex asked neutrally.

“You’re from National City. The woman who named Supergirl is pulling some strings. You’re some kind of government agent, or were, and Lane is involved? I’d bet big money she’s at the center of this.”

Alex sighed. Hernandez was smart, and Alex was too tired to protect the ashes of the agency she’d worked for, especially now that it was in General Lane’s hands. “You heard of the D.E.O.?” Hernandez still had high level government clearance through her current work so Alex decided it was worth the risk.

“Can’t say that I have.”

“I worked there. It was our job to contain alien hostiles.”

“No shit?” One of Hernandez’s eyebrows arched, and she appraised Alex with a smirk. “Thought you looked like someone who saw action. Guess I was right.”

Alex smiled ruefully at the comment, feeling more than a little flattered and possibly even hit on. “Supergirl worked with us. We had a… partnership.”

“Had?”

“The D.E.O. was destroyed last week.”

Hernandez took that in, her eyes thoughtful. “That weird laser that struck out in the desert outside National City? The one the media all claimed was some kind of radioactive meteorite?”

“We lost a lot of people.”

“That was Lucy’s ‘accident?’”

“Yeah,” Alex said softly, remembering Lucy trapped amid the rubble, the rasp of her lungs as she’d tried to breathe, the promise of a walk under the stars with sand beneath their feet. 

Hernandez lapsed into silence for a minute, toying with the label on her beer bottle. “Lucy was working with an organization that supported Supergirl?”

“Lucy was co-director. She and Supergirl had become good friends.”

Shaking her head, Hernandez clearly had a hard time imagining the situation Alex was describing. “Not surprised she moved up. Lucy always had the juice, you know? But she wasn’t exactly alien-friendly when I knew her.”

“It’s hard to stay alien-phobic once you’ve met Supergirl. She’s kinda like a puppy. Impossible to resist.”

“That had to chap the general’s ass. His precious daughter cozying up to the enemy.” Hernandez took another swig of beer. “So you know Supergirl?”

“Look, Mia,” Alex said awkwardly, setting her beer on the bar as she came closer. “I’d like nothing more than to answer all your questions, but Lane has Lucy somewhere she doesn’t want to be. I want to believe she’s being well-cared for, but we both know he has the means and the resources to bring her around to his way of thinking.”

Mia paled. “Brainwashing.”

Alex nodded. “If you know anything… where he might have taken her or where he might stash or build a weapon powerful enough to take out the D.E.O. then please, tell me. I know I’m asking you to risk a lot…”

“You think he targeted the D.E.O.?” Mia asked in alarm.

“I think General Lane would do just about anything to protect his country against alien invaders, whether the country needs protection from them or not.”

“Jesus. I knew the bastard would fall off his rocker sooner or later, but I thought he’d get booted, not homicidal.”

“Can you help me?” Alex pleaded. “Help Lucy?”

“Made up a list before you got here.” Mia moved to the coffee table, slipping a few sheets of paper off it before handing them to Alex. “I’d focus on the coast. Oregon probably. I understand he had a small compound of some kind there. A place he likes to use for… persuasive purposes. I’m sorry I couldn’t risk sending this electronically…”

“I understand completely.” Alex drew in a deep breath, staring at the details on the list with growing hope. “Thank you,” she said in a hoarse voice. 

“She got under your skin, too, huh?” Mia murmured. “Lucy?”

“We’re not…” Alex shook her head. 

“Not yet,” Mia muttered good-naturally. “She’s worth it. Trust me. Just don’t tell my fiancee I said that. She’ll kill me.”

A wide smile curved Alex’s lips. “I’ll be sure to tell Lucy how much you helped.”

Mia shrugged. “Just take good care of her. Punch her father in the face for me if you get the chance.”

Alex offered her hand again and Mia shook it. “Gladly.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is NSFW. Just a heads up. :)

“You’re late with your report, Doctor.”

O’Bannon’s features tightened into a scowl as he gripped the phone at his desk a little tighter. “I was just working on that now.” He glanced up at his darkened computer monitor.

“Not like you to be late,” General Lane snapped. 

O’Bannon could hear activity on the other end of the line, car doors slamming and muted shouts in the distance as the a breeze ghosted over the general’s phone. “Well, you’ll be pleased to know the major is healing nicely.”

“Which I should already know if you had submitted your report. Do we have a problem, O’Bannon?”

“Your daughter is not an enemy combatant, General, and yet we are using resources to treat her as such. So yes, I have a problem with that. “

“Tough. You will follow orders. Is that understood?”

O’Bannon’s jaw clenched. There was nothing about this situation that sat well with him. “She’s asking to speak with her sister.”

A car door jerked open on the other end of the line and then things got much quieter as General Lane apparently slipped inside a vehicle. “What did you tell her?”

“That I would see what I could arrange.”

Lane swore slightly. “I have to admit, I didn’t think she would ask for Lois. They’re estranged to put it kindly. She’s testing us.”

“Quite adeptly, Sir.” Secretly, O’Bannon was a little proud of Lucy’s defiance. He’d been in Lane’s employ for years, doing what he had to in order to protect the country against the alien threat, but Lucy was not the enemy. 

“I have a few options at my disposal. Stall for time, Doctor. I’ll be in touch, and I’ll be expecting your report.”

The line went dead and O’Bannon hung up, unsettled. 

****

Having changed into a t-shirt and shorts, Kara laid on the bed, listening as Cat puttered around her penthouse, turning off lights and setting the alarm. A book was in her hands, largely forgotten, her mind too tired and preoccupied to focus on the words. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Alex had said about Cat, and Kara was giddily beginning to suspect her sister might actually be right.

She’d spent an amazing evening in Cat’s company, talking about everything from Cat’s first Pulitzer to how much Kara could actually lift. Cat’s eyes had nearly bugged out of her head when Kara casually mentioned carrying a one-million ton prison into outer space. Normally Kara was mildly embarrassed to talk about her powers, but in Cat’s company, she couldn’t help preening a little, especially since Cat was clearly impressed. 

Speaking of. 

Cat suddenly leaned in the doorway, and Kara smiled, enjoying the jolt to her system she always got when their gazes met. “Ready to turn in?”

“Not quite.” Cat sauntered into the room, a determined cast to her features, and Kara eased up against the headboard in mild surprise as the other woman sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for the book in her hands and sliding it out of Kara’s grip.

“I was reading that,” Kara murmured, pretending to be put out as Cat reached over and set the novel on the nightstand.

“No you weren’t.” There was a challenge in Cat’s hazel eyes, and Kara’s stomach trembled in reaction. The sensation got worse as Cat leaned over and shut off the light, plunging them into darkness, the only light filtering into the room the one down the hall in Cat’s bedroom.

“Cat,” Kara protested only to fall silent as Cat inched closer.

“You’re going to sleep tonight.” Cat’s gaze was intense, even in the darkness, and Kara became painfully aware of the solid feel of the other woman against her hip. 

“I-I don’t…”

“I know. Kryptonians can go for weeks without sleep, but that’s when you haven’t been through an emotional trauma. You’re hurting yourself, Kara. Alex needs you at your best tomorrow. So do I.”

Kara sat up fully, not having judged just how close the action would bring her to the other woman. She sucked down a sharp breath when Cat didn’t move except to place one hand down alongside Kara’s other hip, effectively fencing her in. “I can’t sleep,” Kara insisted, trying to remember if there was ever a time when they’d been so intimately close. 

“I know,” Cat repeated. “You don’t want lose Alex in your dreams.”

“Or you,” Kara confessed.

Cat studied her before taking a slow, intentional breath and easing deliberately closer. Kara swallowed hard, her heart now fluttering like a panicked bird behind her ribs. Kara recognized where the moment was leading, scarcely able to believe it was happening, but hoping like hell it actually was.

“Bourbon wasn’t the only thing that helped me sleep after Iraq.”

Kara’s eyes searched Cat’s as she struggled to breathe, desire pooling low and heavy in her stomach. This close, Kara didn’t have to filter out other sounds to hear Cat’s heartbeat. It was thundering as loud as her own. “Cat…” she whispered, pleading.

“If I’m wrong about this,” Cat began with a rough swallow, her only outward sign of nerves, “then tell me to stop, and I will.”

Cat’s lips brushed over her own, swallowing Kara’s gasp of surprise as Cat leaned into her, increasing the pressure. Head spinning, Kara rapidly became aware of the texture of the blanket beneath her fingertips, the way her t-shirt moved across her increasingly heated skin. Some part of her knew she should stop this, but she’d hungered for Cat too long to pull away.

Threading the fingers of one hand through Cat’s hair, Kara kissed her with increasing desire, scarcely able to believe the moment was real. 

They finally parted, slowly, reluctantly, and Kara was lost when Cat’s eyes blinked open, her pupils blown wide, her lips still temptingly parted.

“Do you want me to stop?” Cat asked, her voice possessing a husky quality that did insane things to Kara’s body.

A hundred replies flittered through Kara’s mind, crowded onto the tip of her tongue, but it was the shortest and simplest that won out. “No,” she breathed, already dipping her head to find Cat’s mouth again, needing more of her.

Cat’s left hand eased upward along Kara’s bare thigh before she raked blunt nails down to Kara’s knee, making the younger woman moan into her mouth. “You feel that, yet?” Cat asked, pulling away to whisper the words in Kara’s ear before biting playfully on the lobe, her teeth and tongue toying with Kara’s earring. 

Kara’s whole body twitched in reaction, and her breath caught deep and rough in her chest. She could only nod, her head tipping back as Cat’s lips began to trail teasingly down her neck. Rao, she’d never felt anything so good. And then it got so much better as Cat shifted, bringing their bodies in contact as she kissed Kara again, urging her back onto the bed.

“Is this real?” Kara asked as Cat’s warm weight settled on top of her, Cat’s hands slipping tantalizingly under Kara’s shirt.

“Think you’re delirious with fatigue?” Cat teased before her hands slid higher, lightly cupping Kara’s breasts and wringing another low moan from the younger woman.

“The thought… crossed my mind.” A smile flickered across Kara’s lips as her hands hesitantly came to rest on Cat’s hips. 

“It’s okay to touch me,” Cat encouraged before kissing Kara softly. “Anywhere and in any way.”

Heat flooded through Kara’s body at the suggestion, pooling low in her guts as her body rubbed against Cat’s, craving friction. Her hands toyed with the buttons on Cat’s top, eager to feel nothing but skin between them.

“Take it off,” Cat urged, only to gasp as Kara yanked lightly, sending buttons scattering across the bed and floor. Kara hands brushed reverently over Cat’s breasts, her thumbs teasing provocative little whimpers from the back of Cat’s throat. 

Cat’s thigh slid between Kara’s, the older woman rocking slowly upward, drawing out another helpless moan from deep in Kara’s chest. She could feel the friction of the fabric against her, the wetness coating the inside of her thighs. Kara could feel everything. 

“Cat…”

The other woman only moved away long enough to slide Kara’s shorts from her body before she cupped Kara intimately. Kara’s hands dropped to her sides, grabbing fistfuls of the sheets as she trembled. She didn’t trust herself not to grab onto Cat too hard, but her body was powerless to keep still under Cat’s touch.

Cat easily removed the rest of their clothing before sliding against the younger woman again, keeping up a slow, steady rhythm as her mouth explored Kara’s skin.

Kara had known arousal made her skin more sensitive, made her capable of feeling more, but she never imagined she could experience the heat of Cat’s tongue, every puff of Cat’s breath as Cat blazed a hot, wet trail with her mouth down Kara’s torso. It was all too much and yet still not enough. Kara had never felt so utterly human.

Cat worshipped her, threatened her control, but it was the sight of her, naked and consumed by Kara’s body as she made her way lower and lower that had Kara panting. Surely to God Cat Grant wasn’t going to…

Kara’s body bowed and a desperate sound keened from the back of her throat as Cat’s tongue tasted her for the first time. Humming in pleasure, Cat urged Kara’s thighs further apart, her lithe frame settling between them, blonde waves tickling Kara’s skin. Exploring her with deliberate intent, Cat took her time, teasing Kara until she shamelessly begged for more, and Cat gave it to her, sliding two fingers deep into Kara’s heat.

“Oh Rao…” Kara’s body arched again, easily lifting Cat off the bed, but the older woman merely chuckled, digging her nails into Kara’s hip and holding on. “Cat…” Kara moaned.

“Oh, I like hearing my name like that,” Cat purred, adding another finger as she slid out and slowly eased back in, curling inside and making Kara’s hips jump as the younger woman cried out in pleasure. “I do believe I have you at my mercy, Supergirl.”

_Completely_ , some part of Kara’s mind answered, but she couldn’t speak as Cat unexpectedly roughened her pace, the carnal tension coiling ever and ever tighter with each thrust, each flick of Cat’s tongue.

Breath coming in jerky gasps, Kara spiraled higher, the bed swaying beneath them. Then that mouth that could deliver the praise Kara hungered for, the biting sarcasm that made her smile, the orders that commanded an empire, focused where Kara craved it most and the detonation of power and pleasure was instantaneous.

Sheets ripped beneath her as Kara cried Cat’s name as she came, body shuddering in surrender.

When Kara became aware of the world again, her breath came in ragged gasps as sweat cooled on her body. Aftershocks continued to lick through her as Cat’s fingers slowed, drawing out Kara’s gratification for as long as possible. Finally, Cat slipped out of her and Kara moaned again at the loss as Cat slid up Kara’s body to curl around her.

“Who is Rao?” Cat asked after a few minutes, allowing Kara the time to catch her breath and come to her senses.

“My god,” Kara managed. “Krypton’s god.”

“Mmm.” Cat nuzzled Kara’s skin below her ear, nipping it softly, and Kara felt the bite to her toes. “I rather liked hearing you call his name, but I liked you saying mine more.”

“Cat…” Kara swallowed. Her body had never felt so boneless, so relaxed. “That was…”

Cat eased up, her blonde curls mussed and eyes intense as they met Kara’s sleepy gaze. Kara was certain the woman had never looked more enticing. Cat smirked, but there was something about the expression that made Kara’s slowing heart rate quicken once more. 

“That was beautiful,” Cat said softly. 

Kara leaned in, capturing Cat’s mouth, tasting herself on the other woman’s lips. 

“You need to rest,” Cat said when they finally parted, but Kara could hear the thudding of Cat’s heart, the hitch in her breathing as Kara’s hands began to map the body against hers.

“I will,” Kara promised. “But first…” She rolled them over, settling carefully above the older woman. “I need to hear you say my name the way I said yours.”

Cat’s breath caught, exciting Kara’s senses anew. “Is that right?”

Kara’s smile was predatory. “Mmhmm.” She kissed Cat gently before letting her mouth trail down Cat’s cheek, her jaw. She scraped her teeth lightly over the chord of Cat’s throat before her tongue fluttered in time with Cat’s racing heart against the older woman’s pulse point. Cat gripped Kara’s back as her body arched against her, a groan filling the air between them.

“Imagine my tongue doing that here,” Kara whispered as she touched Cat intimately for the first time, her eyes closing in pleasure. 

“Jesus, Kara,” Cat gasped.

Kara smiled as she began to explore Cat’s body, taking her time for now. She’d waited too long to rush this. “Don’t worry,” she promised, gently teasing. “You won’t have to imagine for long.”

****

Golden light spilled across the bed, bathing Kara’s bare feet where they peeked out from under tangled sheets. The softness of the silk was lost to her now as was the texture of the light blanket partially covering her from the waist down. Kara missed the sensations, but she marveled how Cat had enabled her to experience them hours before. 

Frowning, Kara rolled over, finding the other side of the bed disappointingly empty. A brief panic ensued until she took a deep breath, smelling the familiar aroma of coffee wafting through the penthouse. She flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling as her memories of the night before played in technicolor behind her eyelids. She’d guiltily fantasized about being with Cat before, but Rao, it had been so much better than she’d ever imagined.

She just wasn’t sure what it meant.

Kara bit her lip, her mind spinning. Was it just sex, acting on the attraction Alex noticed between them, or did Cat make love to her out of some twisted sense of obligation to care for Supergirl? Kara didn’t dare wonder if Cat might share her deeper feelings. Down that path lie heartbreak.

When her mind finally became too loud with the possibilities, Kara sighed and slipped from the bed. She scrounged up her shorts and shirt and tossed them on before wandering down the hall toward the kitchen, her nerves growing more pronounced with each step.

Cat was at the stove, wearing nothing more than a royal purple silk robe that only came to mid-thigh. Kara swallowed as her gaze drifted down the back of Cat’s legs to her bare feet. She’d trailed kisses on the inside of those thighs, felt those legs wrap around her and hold her close as Cat had come undone on her tongue. 

“You just going to stand back there and ogle me or are you going to have some coffee?” Cat asked.

Kara grinned slowly, busted but unrepentant. “If you hand me a mug I can do both.”

Cat slowly pivoted to face her, one eyebrow arching neatly. Kara got a glimpse of pancakes and bacon behind her and her stomach grumbled in appreciation. “You’re cooking breakfast?”

“Figured you could use the food. You got a lot of exercise last night,” Cat said drolly.

Kara’s stomach flipped delightfully at the deluge of memories. “Whose fault is that?” she asked, drifting closer, her nerves fading somewhat at their easy banter.

“I take full responsibility.” Cat tipped her head back to look up at Kara as the younger woman drew even with her. Her hazel eyes searched Kara’s, and Kara realized she wasn’t the only one who was slightly apprehensive. “You sleep all right?”

“I did,” Kara admitted.

“Any nightmares?” 

Kara held tight to her courage, needing desperately to understand what last night meant to both of them. “Just one.” Cat looked disappointed. “Waking up alone,” Kara added.

“Hmm. You’re giving me that look,” Cat teased, but her voice was uncharacteristically gentle.

“Look?”

“The, ‘I’m a confused little puppy’ look.” Cat’s expression softened as her gaze roamed over Kara’s features. “How long did you lay in bed thinking about what last night meant?”

Shrugging, Kara wasn’t sure if she was being made fun of or not. “I think it’s a fair thing for me to wonder about.”

“What do you want it to mean?” 

_Everything_. Kara bit back the word, unsure how it would be received. “I don’t know.”

Cat took a slow, deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I…” She uncharacteristically hesitated. “Kara…”

“Just sex, right?” Kara guessed, forcing the words past the lump forming in her throat.

Cat started to speak only to hesitate again, her gaze dropping to the floor between them. “I should tell you yes. That last night was a one-time thing.”

Suddenly Kara could barely breathe, her heart thudding in her chest. She stepped forward slightly. “You should?” she asked, intentionally keeping her voice light.

“I absolutely should. You may not be my direct report anymore, but I’m still your boss, still twice your age…” 

“Cat…” Kara nearly whispered, teetering on the edge of having her dreams take flight or watching them crash and burn. 

Cat sighed, her throat rippling around a rough swallow. “I don’t make breakfast for one night stands, Kara. I hope you like chocolate chip pancakes,” Cat added dryly.

“I love them,” Kara said meaningfully as she dipped her head, capturing Cat’s lips in a consuming kiss that had the older woman sliding against her as Kara’s fingers easily parted the silk robe keeping her from heated skin.

After a few lazy minutes, Cat pulled away reluctantly. “You’re temptation personified,” she whispered as Kara’s thumbs stroked over her hips. “And I’d like nothing more than to drag you back to bed for the rest of the day.”

Kara’s heart tripped at the thought and began to beat double time. 

“But your sister is going to be here in an hour, and we both could use food and a shower.”

“You forget.” Kara kissed her again. “I have super speed.”

“After what you did last night, I’m quite certain I will never forget that.” 

Kara grinned but blushed. “So it was… okay? Maybe something you’d like to do again some time?”

This time Cat kissed her. Kara’s senses heightened, touch growing more sensitive as the softness of Cat’s silk robe brushed across the backs of her hands while she held Cat tight and close. No one had ever affected her like this. Kara suspected she could easily become addicted to the other woman. 

“I think that’s a given,” Cat murmured when they parted. “But maybe next time…” She swallowed, and Kara caught another glimpse of nerves she didn’t expect to see, “maybe we can do dinner first. I mean… if you’d like.”

“Like a date?”

Cat shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 

“I’d like,” Kara said earnestly, wanting to settle both their fears. “I’d like nothing more.”

“Good.” Reluctantly, Cat stepped back, cursing slightly when she realized the bacon and pancakes were burning. 

“Here,” Kara said with a grin, nudging the other woman out of the way with her hip. “I’ll cook. You shower.”

Hands snaked around her waist as Cat unexpectedly hugged her from behind, and Kara closed her eyes at the sensation. She could get very used to mornings like this.

“Tell me I didn’t push…” Cat murmured, showing a hint of her own fears.

“You did push,” Kara murmured, turning to look over her shoulder at Cat with a tremulous smile. “And I’m really glad you did.”

Cat leaned up on tiptoe, kissing her softly on the cheek before reluctantly turning Kara loose to head for the shower.

Kara blew out a giddy breath, a wide smile overtaking her features she was powerless to stop.

****

Eyes tired and burning, Alex knocked lightly on Cat’s penthouse door. The building was certainly a cut above what she and Kara were used to, and she felt awkward and out-of-place surrounded by National City’s rich and famous. There was no one else on Cat’s floor who could look down their nose at the Danvers sisters, but Alex felt as if all the residents were doing it in spirit.

The door opened, and Alex was surprised to see her sister on the other side. Kara looked considerably better than when they’d parted the night before, and some of the worry that had been gnawing at Alex’s gut eased. “You got some sleep.” It wasn’t a question.

Kara nodded, her cheeks pinking slightly for some reason. She stepped back and waved Alex in before shutting and securing the door. “You hungry?”

“I don’t think I’ve had anything but airline pretzels since lunch yesterday.”

Disgruntled with her behavior, Kara grabbed her shoulder and spun Alex around, marching her toward the kitchen.

“Do I smell pancakes?” Alex asked pathetically, glancing around in mild awe at Cat’s kitchen. It was almost as big as her whole apartment.

“You do.” Cat set a plate down at the table. “Eat. I’ll get you some coffee.”

“Chocolate chip pancakes and bacon?” Alex whispered to her sister. “She’s a keeper.”

Kara grinned faintly, but her blush returned with a vengeance. Alex lifted one eyebrow in silent question, but Kara refused to make eye contact. 

“So?” Kara asked as she settled across from Alex at the table, watching her dig into her breakfast as Cat returned with Alex’s coffee. “What did Hernandez say?”

“You were right.” Alex accepted the coffee from Cat and took a grateful sip, her eyes nearly crossing at how good it was. “Mia had the answers we were looking for.”

Rather than sitting, Cat put her hand on the back of Kara’s chair and leaned lightly against it. She looked casual for once, sporting form-fitting jeans and a figure-hugging blue sweater. Alex would have mistaken her for a soccer mom getting ready to run to the store rather than the CEO of a billion-dollar empire. 

Kara perked up at the news. “So we know where Lucy is?”

Alex fished in her jacket pocket and handed her the details Mia had parted with the night before. “I couldn’t do much research on the plane, but Mia seemed to think Oregon was a safe bet.” She handed Kara the pages and watched as her sister looked them over, Cat peering with seeming disinterest over her shoulder. While they read, Alex worked on demolishing her breakfast.

“Would make sense,” Cat said after a few moments. “Close enough for a quick hop by plane or helicopter. Far enough to be off our radars.” She took a sip of her coffee, her short nails drumming on the ceramic surface.

“I can change right now and go get her?” Kara asked hopefully.

“If we’re wrong, barging in there could not only become a national security incident, but it could convince Lane to move Lucy again. We have to be sure,” Alex explained, demonstrating patience she really didn’t feel.

“You can’t fly.”

Alex and Kara looked up at Cat in surprise.

“Why?” Kara asked, confused.

Cat’s jaw clenched, her hazel eyes turning flinty. Alex’s stomach clenched and went cold when she realized Cat’s reasoning. “Oh God. I hadn’t…” She swallowed, feeling vaguely ill.

“What?” Kara’s gaze shifted between them.

“If Lane has another laser, he could be using Lucy as a trap for you,” Cat said bluntly. “You go zipping in there, violate some kind of protected airspace, and Lane has all the reason he needs to shoot you down with or without the President’s authorization.”

Kara soaked that in, and Alex recognized the slow, stubborn set of her sister’s jaw. “It’s worth the risk.”

“The hell it is,” Cat said with heat. “You really think Lucy would want you to get yourself killed trying to save her?” She huffed out a disgruntled breath. “What have I told you about your impetuousness getting you into trouble?”

Alex watched them, fascinated by their dynamic, by the energy that crackled between them. 

“Cat…” 

“No,” Cat ordered, suddenly every inch the CEO, and Kara’s lips pressed into a thin, defiant line. Her gaze cut to Alex. “Tell her.”

“She’s right, Kara,” Alex said in a subdued voice. “I’d love nothing more than to let you go get Lucy, but it’s too risky, for you and for her. If we feel good about this location then I’ll book us a flight to Portland. You’ll have to do things the human way.” 

Kara looked like she wanted to protest, but Cat’s hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed gently, and Kara lapsed into silence. Alex had never seen someone manage her sister quite so effectively before.

“I’ll handle the flight. I know a few pilots. A little money under the table and there will be no record for the general to trace.” Cat set her mug down. “Will it just be the three of us?”

Alex blinked, her left eyebrow raising in surprise.

“You’re not going,” Kara said flatly.

“The hell I’m not. This is a Pulitzer winning story, whatever parts of it you let me tell,” Cat tossed at Alex when she saw her about to protest. “And aside from that, I’m in this now. I’m safer with you than here alone.”

Kara’s hands clenched into fists as she tried and failed to come up with a good argument.

Alex weighed the pros and cons of having Cat, a civilian, along for a mission like this. Her training was dead set against it, but Alex’s instincts told her they’d need Cat before this was all over.

“Honestly,” Alex added with an apologetic look for her sister before shifting her attention to Cat, “we could use your help setting up a safe house for Lucy. She’ll need medical care. A safe place to recover for a few days. I feel like we’ve already asked so much of you...” 

“Consider it done.” Cat glanced worriedly at Kara, unsettled by her quiet seething at their developing plans. “Should we tell Lois?”

“Not yet,” Alex said regretfully. “The fewer people who know about this the better.”

“Anyone else accompanying us on this little excursion?”

“One more.” At Kara’s look, Alex shrugged. “I’d like Vasquez with me if she’ll go.”

“Vasquez?” Cat asked.

“Another D.E.O. agent. One Kara and I trust.”

“Very well.” Cat nodded. “I’ll start making arrangements. I assume we have to check this place out regardless.”

“We do,” Alex agreed, “but my gut tells me she’s there.”

“Mine as well.” Cat’s fingers eased across Kara’s back as she stepped away. “I’ll take care of it.”

Alex stared at her sister for several moments, watching as Kara took several slow breaths, trying to get her anger under control after Cat had left. Alex suspected there was a healthy amount of fear mixed in as well, but none of it for herself. Kara’s whole focus right now was Cat.

“Kara…”

Her sister shook her head. “If any harm comes to her, Alex…”

“We can keep her safe.” At least Alex sure as hell hoped so. They were all taking a huge risk, going up against a subset of the United States military that could easily kill them all and sweep it under the rug without breaking a sweat.

“Like we did with Lucy? Like we did with everyone at the D.E.O.?”

“That’s not fair.”

“Screw fair.” Kara pushed back from the table. “None of this is fair.”

Alex swallowed and looked up at her sister. “You can stay here with Cat. I’ll go get Lucy.”

“You know I can’t let you do that.”

“Now you know how Cat feels.” Alex smiled tightly, hoping Kara could understand. “She’s not doing this for the story, Kara. That much is clear. She’s doing it for Lucy, but more than that, she’s doing it for you. Cat wants to protect you as much as you want to protect her.” 

Kara sighed, her gaze on the floor. “I can’t lose her, Alex.”

“You won’t,” Alex vowed, more determined than ever to stop General Lane from ever hurting anyone again.

****

“Photos, as promised.”

Lucy swallowed as Gibbons laid a folder in her lap. Her jaw clenched as her fingers toyed with the corner.

“You wanted proof. Here’s your proof.”

“Pictures can be faked.”

“So you can talk,” Gibbons murmured. “I was beginning to wonder.”

Offering the doctor a murderous glare, Lucy pulled her hand away, refusing to look at the photographs if only because Gibbons was determined to make her.

“You are a defiant one.” Gibbons picked up the folder and flipped it open. “You need to deal with this, Lucy. Once you’ve accepted that your “friend” is dead, you can begin to move on.”

Lucy viciously slapped the folder away, sending the photographs scattering over the floor. “I know what you’re doing. It’s not going to work.”

The doctor clucked her tongue before bending and scooping up a handful of photos. Suddenly one was right in front of Lucy’s face. She recoiled, averting her eyes, but the image of Alex garroted, her blood pooled under her as her gaze stared vacantly at the ceiling made Lucy’s stomach heave.

_It’s not real_ , Lucy screamed inwardly. _It’s. Not. Real._

“There’s more,” the doctor murmured. “I’m afraid she was strangled with such force it nearly separated her…”

“Fuck you,” Lucy snarled with uncharacteristic rage, grabbing the photo out of Gibbon’s hands and tearing it to pieces before throwing it back in her face. “And tell my father he can fuck off as well.”

“You learn that language from him?” the doctor sniffed. “You would do well to remember your place here.”

“I learned a lot of things from my father, Dr. Gibbons. You would do well to remember that.”

Gibbons smiled. “You can’t win, Lucy. If it makes you feel better to be defiant, so be it. But you should just give in.”

“You know, the fact that you all are choosing such a direct approach with me tells me you’re short on time. What’s the matter? Afraid Supergirl is going to find me?”

“Supergirl is dead.”

“Then I want video proof. There’s no way the Girl of Steel dies without someone catching it on camera. And I want to see the interview with Cat Grant, because she would have given one. She would have eloquently memorialized Supergirl. Tell your team they’re going to have to step up their Photoshopping skills if they want me to swallow these lies you’re trying to peddle.”

“Ever the lawyer.”

“Damn right.” Lucy took the insult as a compliment. “Still waiting on that phone call with my sister, by the way. You haven’t figured out how to make that happen, either.”

Gibbons eased closer to the bed, her grey eyes thoughtful. “Let’s say you’re right. Let’s say Supergirl, Alex Danvers, and all the survivors of the D.E.O. are still with us. What makes you think they’ll stay that way for long?”

“You underestimate them.”

“You think you’re the endgame for your father, Lucy, but getting you back, making you realize the error of befriending a Kryptonian, is nothing but a side project for him.”

It took a moment for Lucy to understand what the doctor was alluding to. “He didn’t,” she whispered with dawning horror, thinking about all those lives lost under her command. “He wouldn’t.” 

“Your father is a man that understand the bigger picture. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy season 2 premiere day!

The air was damp and considerably cooler as they disembarked the Gulfstream aircraft Cat had secured for their flight. Alex would have been happy with a simple prop job, but Cat had them traveling like they were the rich and famous. Not that Alex was complaining. She’s actually managed a half hour of sleep on an honest-to-God bed.

There was a SUV waiting for them, and Alex crossed the private tarmac as the plane’s engines spun down, leaving them in startling quiet. Opening the driver side door, Alex was pleased to find the keys in the ignition and the vehicle large enough for their needs. So far everything was moving slightly ahead of schedule, but Alex could still feel the kick of adrenaline in her veins. She glanced at her watch, itching to get started. Lucy was close. She could _feel_ it. 

Alex popped the rear hatch and yanked it open as Vasquez approached, handing her two duffel bags full of gear. “Check the equipment in back. Make sure everything you need is there.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Vasquez,” Alex sighed at the title.

“Ma’am?” Vasquez responded with just a tiny hint of snark. Alex rolled her eyes and playfully slapped the other woman on the shoulder as she headed back across the tarmac, waiting at the bottom of the steps for Cat and Kara. 

Cat emerged into the fading light, and Kara followed a moment later. Alex had to admit they made a striking pair. Kara’s hand rested protectively on Cat’s back, the other carried their heaviest bag of gear as if it weighed nothing. 

Alex met her sister’s gaze, and Kara smiled faintly. She still looked tired, but her eyes had lost some of that haunted look they’d carried lately. Suspecting Cat had more than a little to do with that, Alex couldn’t help but thaw a little further towards the CEO.

“Everything there as requested?” Cat asked Alex when they drew even with one another.

Glancing back at Vasquez, the other woman gave her a thumbs up and Alex nodded. “We ever get the D.E.O. back up and running, there’s a job waiting for you as a mission coordinator.”

Cat smiled wryly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“So it’s about 30 minutes to the house in Lake Oswego. We’ll drop our gear and get suited up there, make sure everything is in place if we’re able to bring Lucy home.”

“When,” Kara corrected simply, holding Alex’s gaze. “When we bring Lucy home.”

Alex nodded once, trying not to get her hopes up that she’d have Lucy back in a matter of hours. “It’s an hour from the house to the compound which is off some unmarked roads on the eastern side of Tillamook State Forest.” Her gaze cut to Cat. “You should stay at the house.”

“I should,” Cat agreed blithely, “but I’m not going to.”

Kara smiled grimly. It was clear she was less than enthused about Cat coming along, but she looked resigned to the idea. “Don’t argue with her, Alex. You’ll lose. You’ll always lose.” She sounded like she was speaking from plenty of experience.

“Cat...” Alex sighed, grateful for the woman’s help but not remotely inclined to have a civilian get in the way of rescuing Lucy from whatever hell she was in. “This isn’t a game.”

“I’m not going to go charging in there with you, Alex. I’ll stay with Agent Vasquez.”

Vasquez said nothing on the matter, but one eyebrow elevated slightly.

Alex rolled her eyes before huffing out a breath in exasperation. Bending at the waist, she slipped her backup weapon out of the holster and handed it to Cat who took it reluctantly.

“What’s this for?” the CEO sniffed.

“You’re putting yourself in danger? You need to be able to get yourself out of it. Kara is going to be with me, and Vasquez is going to be busy making sure we don’t get ourselves killed getting Lucy out of there. You get in trouble and there’s going to be no one to save you.”

Kara bristled at Alex’s tone but she didn’t disagree.

“Are we clear?” Alex asked.

“Agent Danvers…”

“Are we clear?” Alex said again, stepping closer. “You are not going to jeopardize this mission. There’s too much at stake. Lucy is depending on me… On us. We fail and there is no one else to save her.” 

Cat eyed her critically, looking more impressed than offended. “We’re clear.”

“Good. Now let me show you how to use…”

Cat rotated her wrist, settling the gun into the proper hold. With ease, she ejected the clip and the round in the chamber before reloading both. She looked at Alex with a bored expression as the agent gaped.

“Okay. I’m a little turned on right now,” Kara admitted at the display of lethal skill.

“I told you, I was embedded in the first Gulf War. Weapons training wasn’t required, but I figured it was smart.” Cat smirked at the younger woman before turning the expression on Alex. “I may hate guns, but I’m more than capable of using one.”

Alex stared at Cat for a moment. “You keep surprising me.”

“Maybe you should stop underestimating me.”

****

She couldn’t get the images out of her head.

Lucy swallowed around the lump in her throat as tears gathered in her eyelashes. She craved sleep, but every time she closed her eyes she saw Alex, her face too pale, her lifeless brown eyes staring into the camera, her blood soaking the carpet beneath her. The photos had to be fake. They had to be. Despite her stubborn will, despite her determination to hold tightly to the belief that Alex was alive, Gibbons had planted seeds of doubt and they were beginning to take root. 

Things were getting messed up in Lucy’s head. The drugs were to blame for most of it, she was sure, but it was terrifying to know her father’s team was starting to succeed in altering her reality in any way. She needed proof. She needed to know without a shadow of a doubt that Alex was alive. There was only one way to get it, but Lucy knew she’d be opening herself up to even more misery. They’d restrain her. Drug her harder. Come at her with twice the mind fucks as before.

But it would be worth it to know Alex was alive, to hear her voice.

O’Bannon came in for her treatment, and Lucy closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. She ignored him as he worked, feeling the now familiar burn of the alien device as it knitted the muscle and tissue in her leg back together. Lucy let him do his job. When he was done and gone, she’d take her chance.

****

Cat sat in the back of the SUV, wincing slightly as it bumped and dipped its way along an overgrown dirt road. She glanced to her right, studying Kara quietly. No super suit for her pending heroics tonight, Kara instead wore all black like the rest of them, but she was the only one with no flak jacket. Cat tugged on the collar of hers, reminding herself that the discomfort was minimal compared to the benefits the vest might offer before the night was over.

“You okay?” Kara’s voice was low, interrupting the tense silence inside the vehicle.

“Should have taken some Dramamine,” Cat joked weakly.

Alex snorted from the front seat. “You and me both.”

“Sorry, Ma’ams,” Vasquez muttered, “but you try driving down a trail like this in the dark and see how well you do.”

Kara’s hand slid over the expanse of leather between them and tangled with Cat’s. “Really wish you’d stayed at the house.”

“I know.” Cat’s tone was apologetic, but she wasn’t sorry for her choices, only that they caused Kara distress. She shifted, feeling the holster and weapon on her hip dig into her side a little. She couldn’t have been further from the desert of Iraq, but the whole scenario had those memories close to the surface. She almost expected brutal heat and the blinding sun when they finally stopped and climbed out of the vehicle, but instead the air was almost cold, smelling strongly of fall and forest. With the cloud cover overhead, Cat could barely see a foot in front of her face.

Heart in her throat, Cat once more tugged the vest down, trying to keep it from rubbing her neck raw as Alex and Vasquez went to the rear of the vehicle, opened the hatch, and began assembling the additional equipment they’d be sporting. She eyed Alex Danvers, noting her focus, suspecting that this mission was more personal than professional, although she didn’t doubt Alex would have gone to hell and back for any of her colleagues. She was loyal to a fault, and Cat wondered if she’d ever met anyone quite like her, appreciating the woman’s strong influence on Kara. 

Kara approached, lingering beside Cat as they watched the two agents outfit Alex with night vision equipment as well as a body camera. The latter had been Cat’s request, insisting that they document everything not only for the government should they be caught and tried, but for the story she would hopefully someday weave about this night. 

“For what it’s worth,” Kara murmured, a faint hint of nerves in her tone that made Cat turn to look at her. “You look… uh…” Kara smiled shyly. “I kinda like you in this look.”

Cat glanced down at herself, her stomach quivering at the appreciation in Kara’s voice, even in their current circumstance. “Yes. It’s very combat chic,” Cat replied dryly. She wiggled her toes in her boots, having to admit they were comfortable, before her gaze swept up Kara’s long frame. “You look rather… dangerous yourself.”

It felt strange to openly flirt with the younger woman, stranger still to have Kara start it, but the moment eased some of the brittle tension that had settled deep into Cat’s shoulders during the drive. She longed for the night to be done, for General Lane to be thwarted, so they could explore what was happening between them more comfortably. 

“Promise me,” Kara murmured, her voice turning more serious. “Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

Cat sighed, trying not to think of Carter, trying not to wonder if the kiss she’d laid on his forehead before he left with his father would be the last memory he had of her. “I’m not the one raiding a military black site,” Cat reminded her. “I’ll just be sitting here in the car watching you two do all the heavy lifting.” She swallowed, unable to pretend that she wasn’t scared to death for the Danvers sisters. “You promise me.”

Kara pulled her into a hug, and Cat clung to her, a sudden fear clenching her guts that she might not get to do this again. She was terrified to let go.

“Bring Lucy home,” she whispered.

“We will,” Kara vowed, sounding every bit the superhero. 

****

The floor was cold under Lucy’s socked feet. She stood there a moment, gritting through the pain in her right thigh, but it was more manageable than it had been a few days prior. If they’d thought showing her the photos of Alex would break her down, they’d only served to make her more determined than ever to prove them wrong.

She just needed to find a phone.

Disabling the I.V. machine, Lucy clenched her teeth and slipped the needle out of the port on the back of her hand. When no alarms sounded, she released a sigh of relief.

Limping forward carefully, Lucy finally took the time to explore her cell, giving herself a few minutes to stretch her tight legs and to shake off some of the medication. She found a pair of crutches in the closet and retrieved them gratefully. A nurse had been performing some mild physical therapy the last two days, but being able to move, no matter how awkwardly, felt like freedom. After about fifteen minutes, she felt mentally and physically capable of doing what she needed to do. 

Lucy placed her ear against the door, but heard nothing. Testing the handle, she was relieved to find it unlocked. Wherever they’d stashed her, they’d obviously banked on her not being able to get far if they felt comfortable leaving the door unsecured. 

Cracking the door open, Lucy peered out into an empty, dark hallway. Again, she listened, hearing nothing. Surprisingly there appeared to be no security cameras, and Lucy couldn’t help but wonder just how legal this location was. 

Cautiously, she slipped out, choosing a direction and limping down the hall as quickly as she dared. Pain flared up her leg, and the injury felt warm beneath the scrubs she sported. She glanced down, frowning at the small blood stain slowly spreading across the fabric. It couldn’t be helped.

The whole excursion was going to end badly for her. It was an accepted fact, but Lucy’s nerves still stirred with fear and dread. The emotions, however, would not deter her from her plan.

She needed to hear Alex’s voice. Nothing else mattered.

Exploring a handful of empty rooms, Lucy struck out again and again. They were clearly in some kind of old military-style compound, but there was nothing about the location that gave Lucy a clue to where she might be, how to lead Alex to her. It wasn’t until she rounded a corner, spying a light peering beneath a closed door, that her hopes surged. She could hear the low murmur of a single voice, and Lucy knew she’d found what she was looking for.

****

Stretching out below them, General Lane’s compound was nothing more than four nondescript buildings that looked all but abandoned. Alex paused to catch her breath, dropping to one knee in the underbrush. The fall weather had turned misty, and Alex wiped distractedly at her hair where it clung damp and cold to her forehead. 

“You okay?” Kara asked softly, settling next to her. She was as soaked as Alex, but with none of the discomfort. 

Alex slipped off her night vision goggles for a moment, rubbing at her eyes and waiting for them to adjust. She nodded, eager to keep going, but she knew she couldn’t push herself too hard. She had to conserve as much energy as possible to get Lucy out when the time came. “See anything?” She waved at the compound below. 

Kara scanned their surroundings before turning her attention on the structures. She swore softly in Kryptonese, and Alex’s eyebrows hiked in surprise. She didn’t understand much of Kara’s native tongue, but she was pretty sure her sister had just insulted someone’s mother. “They were expecting me,” Kara growled in a low voice.

“Lined with lead?”

Jaw clenched painfully tight, Kara nodded. “But there’s no one.” Kara gestured at the buildings, her voice no longer a whisper. “No guards. No patrols. Nothing. The fence isn’t even electrified.”

Alex digested that, unsettled. “We’re in a public forest. They have to appear non-threatening to fly under the locals’ radar.” She knew that was part of it, but worry niggled at the base of her brain. Something wasn’t right. “Who knows what’s waiting for us on the inside.” She squinted at the structures, noting a smattering of humvees and the fence they’d have to scale. To anyone who stumbled across the place it probably looked like a ranger station of some kind rather than an off-the-books black site.

Kara cocked her head, and Alex waited, realizing her sister was listening. “Hear anyone?” 

Frowning slightly, Kara nodded. “There are people in there.” She pointed at the central building. “The other three are empty.”

“How many? We walking into an ambush?”

Kara shook her head. “I’m hearing maybe five different people.” Her lips tightened into a thin line. “What if Hernandez lied? What if this is a ranger station?”

Stomach clenching coldly at the thought, Alex refused to believe it. “Mia didn’t lie.” She’d looked into her eyes and saw nothing but a woman wanting to help looking back at her.

“Then what if Lucy isn’t here, Alex?”

That wasn’t an option Alex was ready to entertain. “Only one way to find out.”

****

The black site was quiet, most of the handful of personnel having bunked down for the night hours ago. Dr. Gibbons enjoyed the solitude, using the peace to finish up her daily notes on Lucy Lane’s conditioning. She’d planted a potent seed of doubt in the major’s mind with the doctored photos of Alex Danvers, and Gibbons made a mental note to poke that particular wound further during tomorrow’s session. Whatever Lucy’s relationship to Danvers, the agent was obviously a weak point for the major, one Gibbons looked forward to exploiting further.

Lucy possessed her father’s stubbornness, and the fact that she had already figured out her father’s game plan, even while drugged, suggested a high intelligence. Lucy would be a challenge, and Gibbons relished nothing more than that.

She hit send on her email to the general and started to stand, ready to call it a night, when her landline buzzed. The sound startled her, disturbed the uneasy peace, and she picked it up with a sigh. “Gibbons.”

“Working late I see, Doctor.”

“General Lane,” Gibbons greeted formally. “Apparently I’m not the only one, Sir.”

“My daughter still resisting?”

“Completely,” Gibbons murmured with just a hint of respect. “Any luck with Supergirl?”

“The President has me under strict orders that I’m not to harm her in any way, but if she were to attack our black site, I’m sure we would be forgiven for firing on an unidentified hostile invading our airspace.”

“Yes, Sir.” They shared a mutual disdain and distrust of aliens, and Gibbons supported the general’s plan to rid the Earth of them once and for all, even if that required… sacrifices. “Is Danvers still a problem?”

“She’s been oddly quiet the last few days, but I’m not concerned. Her resources are limited. My daughter Lois, on the other hand, is stirring up trouble in Washington.”

“Perhaps she could do with a visit to our facility as well?” Gibbons suggested.

“Perhaps. I’d like to have one daughter sorted before we start on the the other, however. Besides, when the time comes, Lois will make potent bait for Superman.”

“Of course.”

“Continue to keep me apprised, Doctor. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Supergirl will try to swoop in and save the day soon, and we can stop lying to my daughter about that particular death.”

“Yes, Sir,” Gibbons said again, uneasy with the thought of the Girl of Steel getting anywhere near them. Her powers were terrifying, and while Gibbons would welcome knowing the Kryptonian was dead, she would prefer not to have a close encounter with that alien. “Actually, Sir, while I have you on the line…”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to ask you about Lucy’s relationship with Alex Danvers.”

“There is no relationship.”

Gibbons paused at his immediate denial, telling her a considerable bit about his suspicions regarding his daughter and the agent without saying a word. “I find I’m getting the most intense reactions from your daughter when I use Agent Danvers’ ”death” as a tool.”

There was a pause where she could hear the general breathing, his disgust and anger telegraphing down the line. “They work together. Danvers is Supergirl’s sister.”

The general wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Sir, but is it possible their relationship had turned romantic in nature?”

“No, Doctor Gibbons, it is not.”

Gibbons pursed her lips. Everyone had a blind spot, and after years of working for General Sam Lane, she realized she’d just found his. “Very well, Sir.”

“I’ll expect another report tomorrow. And remind Doctor O’Bannon he’s behind on his. I’m beginning to doubt his commitment to this project.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Have a good night, Doctor.”

The line went dead, and Gibbons hung up, sparing a moment to consider how she should proceed with Lucy’s session tomorrow in light of her surprisingly revealing call with the general. She shut down her computer before making her way to the door and opening it, reaching for the light switch.

She didn’t see the small form barreling at her from the darkened hallway until it was too late.

****

Kara went still, gripping Alex’s arm. It was like being caught in a vise, and Alex found the world whipping past as she was swung around awkwardly, barely getting her feet under her. She glared at her sister until she realized Kara was listening to something.

“What?” she whispered. Alex slipped off her night vision goggles again, studying the hard set of Kara’s jaw in what little moonlight filtered through the clouds. Kara’s eyes were stormy, and when they swept up to lock gazes with Alex, she felt her stomach knot almost painfully.

Swallowing, Kara shuddered slightly. “She’s here,” she said tightly. “Lucy’s here.”

Joy surged inside her, but it was tempered by the look in Kara’s eyes. “That’s a good thing, right?” Alex muttered, but Kara was still listening to a conversation Alex couldn’t hear.

Taking a deep breath, Kara’s shoulders rose and fell, anger radiating off the younger woman in waves. “There’s another laser. It’s pointed here. Cat was right.”

Alex’s grip tightened on the gun in her other hand, the sudden intense desire to use it coursing through her. She started toward the center building, no longer concerned about stealth, determined to go in guns blazing, but Kara’s grip tightened again, holding her in place.

“Let me go, Kara.”

“We don’t know what we’re going to encounter in there.”

“I don’t give a damn.”

Kara gripped her other shoulder. “Alex, something is off. Something isn’t right.”

Logically, Alex knew Kara was right but her temper and fear for both Lucy and her sister was getting the better of her. “I’m not leaving without her,” Alex hissed. She couldn’t. She couldn’t come this far, get this close, and leave Lucy with these monsters.

A soft buzz filled the sudden silence and they both frowned. When it came again, Alex realized it was her new phone, tucked into the pocket of her tactical vest. She holstered her weapon and slipped the phone out, frowning when she saw a local area code. Tempted to ignore it, something in Alex’s guts told her she shouldn’t.

“Danvers.”

“Alex?”

_“Lucy?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been to Oregon. The locations mentioned are real, but their descriptions are largely from my imagination and not based in reality. If you're from these areas, hopefully I didn't screw them up too badly. :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the big rescue. Hope you like it. :)
> 
> Thanks as always to BCharmer and zennie for their help with this story. Their feedback has been invaluable as I continue to try and wrangle all the pieces of this story together!

A crutch made a hell of a bat when swung with rage and adrenaline.

With ruthless satisfaction, Lucy savored the visceral crack of wood striking bone. Gibbons grunted in shock, flailing backward into her office. Kicking the door shut with her foot, Lucy limped after her, ignoring the pain and blood spilling down her leg as she swung again, catching the doctor across the jaw with the padded end of the crutch, snapping the woman’s head back and sending her slumping to the floor.

Breathing hard, Lucy set the crutch back down and leaned on it, groaning as fire burned through her thigh. It would be worth being restrained to talk to Alex, to hear her voice, but getting to break Gibbon’s nose was an added bonus.

Hobbling to the desk, Lucy snatched up the receiver before punching in Alex’s number. She’d heard Gibbon’s questions for her father about her relationship with Alex, confirming the other agent was alive, but Lucy still needed to hear her, needed physical proof Alex was all right.

The phone rang once, twice. Lucy tensed, not sure what she would do if the call went to voicemail.

“Danvers.”

Legs buckling at the sweet sound of Alex’s voice, Lucy sagged in relief, tears springing to her eyes. “Alex?” she gasped.

“Lucy?” Alex’s voice sharpened from a harsh whisper into a concerned growl. “Are you all right? Where are you?”

Shaking, Lucy shook her head. “I don’t have much time. I just… Please tell me you’re okay… that Kara is okay…”

“Tell me where you are,” Alex coaxed.

“I don’t know. Alex… My father. He...” 

“Lucy,” Alex repeated, her tone patient, but there was an edge to it Lucy didn’t understand. “Are you near a window? A door with a number on it? Anything that can identify the room where you are?”

Frowning, Lucy glanced around before limping toward a window with bars on it. She looked out, squinting into the meager light. At least she knew it was nighttime for once. “I’m at a window. There’s some kind of yard in front of me.”

Alex mumbled something to someone else. “Are there buildings in front of you?”

“No.” Lucy’s frown deepened. “It looks like a practice yard. I think there are old barracks to my right.”

“Lucy, sit tight. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Lucy’s heart leapt at the words, shock and elation rippling through her in equal measure. “Wait… where are you?” she asked in disbelief.

“I’m coming for you.”

****

“Bastard,” Vasquez hissed under her breath. 

Cat had to agree, her mouth twisted into an angry sneer after hearing the general talk with Doctor Gibbons. Thankfully he’d called from what remained of the D.E.O. allowing them to listen in and record every word, but her stomach churned at the casual way they’d discussed warping Lucy’s mind, targeting Lois... 

Killing Kara.

Hands balled into fists, Cat listened to the sisters converse, Kara’s voice soothing in her ear even if Cat could hear the pinch of worry and anger in her tone. 

“Is there anything you can do about that laser?” Cat demanded from the back seat, her gaze on the monitors showing her what both Alex and Kara were seeing as they threaded their way toward the center building. Lucy’s call had jolted them both into action, and they were moving with far less stealth, much to Cat’s consternation.

“No, Ma’am.” Vasquez sounded pretty put out about it, too.

The closer they got to the building, the more Cat’s anxiety increased. This whole business was rushed and foolhardy, but Cat knew she’d be right beside the Danvers sisters right now if she could. Lucy had done something very brave, but the consequences of her actions would be dire if they didn’t succeed in saving her. Still, Cat tensed when they neared the door, dread pooling in her stomach.

She tapped her earpiece. “Be careful,” she murmured, ignoring the reprimanding look she got from Vasquez. There was more she wanted to say, but she held her tongue, praying for all she was worth she would get to say the words later, that this wouldn’t be her last chance.

Cat didn’t expect Kara to answer, but then an oh so soft, “You, too,” whispered down her ear and Cat closed her eyes, unable to brave what came next as Kara’s hand wrapped around the door handle and pulled.

****

With a groan, the door gave way, screeching slightly as the old hinges popped, the brackets clattering to the floor as Kara tossed it aside.

“So much for holding onto that element of surprise,” Alex groused, still gripping her cell phone in one hand, her gun in the other. Slipping her weapon under one arm, she tossed her night vision gear off, no longer needing it, before her gloved hand closed over her firearm again. She moved past Kara and stepped inside, the scent of age and antiseptic assaulting her nostrils. There were no security cameras, Alex noted, no guards to greet them. Every muscle in her body tightened with tension, knowing, _feeling_ that something deadly was waiting for them inside. 

Kara shrugged. “Tired of being quiet, and Lucy doesn’t have much time.” She stepped into the darkened hallway, casually grabbing Alex’s shoulder and dragging her stubborn sister protectively behind her before she listened carefully. “Tell her to bang on something.”

Lucy must have heard her because a muted thumping came from somewhere to Kara’s left. “She’s that way.”

They’d barely turned into another hallway when a blue wall of light blinked on in front of them. They both froze, frowning at the sudden appearance of tech in the dilapidated building.

“Shit,” Alex hissed, her finger tightening on the trigger. “Don’t move.”

“What is it?” Kara whispered.

With a hum, the light fluttered toward them. 

“Scan.” 

The light swept harmlessly over them and snapped off. 

For a disquieting moment, nothing happened, but Alex closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. Whether they’d just been scanned for weapons or alien DNA, it didn’t matter. They were out of luck.

An alarm blared overhead.

“Guess we flunked,” Kara grumbled, moving forward again with determined strides.

Alex hustled after her, glancing behind them, but no one and nothing materialized. She heard a scraping sound ahead, like a metal door sliding open, and Alex fought every instinct to put herself in front of her sister again. 

Slow, heavy footsteps sounded, loud enough to be heard over the alarm, and Kara went still, Alex nearly crashing into her back.

“What?” Alex demanded.

“I know why there were no guards,” Kara murmured.

“Kara…” Alex said only to fall silent as a familiar android stepped around the corner at the end of the hallway, followed soon by another. “Oh my God,” she whispered, horrified.

The Red Tornadoes shifted their stance, watching them dispassionately.

Kara looked back at Alex, their gazes holding for a timeless moment, communicating more than words ever could. “Go,” Kara urged, acceptance in her eyes, and so much love Alex couldn’t bear it.

“Kara,” Alex choked, fear and anguish rising, threatening to drown her. “No…” 

“Go,” Kara said again with a soft, sad smile. “Get Lucy out of here.”

It took everything Alex had to back away, knowing her presence only put Kara more at risk, but leaving her sister was incomprehensible. Tears blurred the sight of Kara’s blue eyes, her loving smile, until Alex wrenched herself away. The thought that she might have just gazed on her sister for the final time tore a sob from Alex’s throat as she ran.

“I love you,” Kara said over the commlink, the words meant for more than Alex, before the connection went dead.

****

_“I love you.”_

Cat’s heart seized in her chest at the words, her world tunneling down to Kara’s voice, to the grief and acceptance laden in her tone. “No.” The word fell from Cat's lips, heavy with denial.

Watching the feeds, Cat shook her head as Alex betrayed everything Cat had believed to be true about the agent and turned away from Kara, from her sister, and left Kara alone with those _things_. She’d seen the way Kara had looked at Alex, like she was saying goodbye. 

“No,” Cat whispered again. This couldn’t be the end. Not like this. Not when...

“Ms. Grant…” Vasquez swallowed, her features worried but her focus unshakable. 

Cat stumbled out of the vehicle, trembling, her eyes never leaving the screens as the creatures attacked. She flinched as if she’d been struck, realizing with dawning horror that Kara had deliberately disabled her audio so that they wouldn’t have to have to listen to her die.

“No!” Cat snapped, shaking off her fear the only way she knew how. 

A brutal blow slammed Kara into the ground, her camera shorting out and cutting to black. 

Cat tapped her own earpiece, taking charge. “Alex, goddamn you, don’t you abandon her! She needs you!”

“Damn it,” Vasquez hissed, scurrying out of the SUV.

Alex didn’t respond, but Cat could hear her breathing hard, quiet little sobs carrying over the video channel that tore Cat’s heart to shreds. “Alex!” she demanded, her tone bordering on desperation. “Please!”

“Ms. Grant.” Vasquez grabbed her, ripping her earpiece out. “Ms. Grant, don’t...”

“Kara needs help!” Cat’s hazel eyes snapped with fury as she reached for the earpiece, unable to understand why these people were doing nothing to stop this.

In a sudden blur of motion, Cat found herself subdued, whirled around and slammed with little regard into the side of the SUV. Vasquez pinned her there, one arm across her chest. “Listen to me, Ma’am,” Vasquez ordered in a calm voice. “Those things are androids, Red Tornadoes, and there is nothing Agent Danvers can do to stop them. Her staying would only get her killed and possibly Supergirl as well. Alex is trying to save everyone, Ma’am. So is Supergirl.”

“Do something…” Cat ordered, but this was one person she couldn’t command, one person who didn’t give a damn about her or her media empire. She had no power here, the one time she needed it most. 

“I know this is hard, Ma’am.” Vasquez’s voice wavered but didn’t break. “But you have to trust Kara and Alex to do the right thing. There’s nothing we can do.” She stepped back and walked away, returning to her duty, leaving Cat alone in the dark.

Cat stared into the woods, tears burning her eyes as she heard a distant boom, knowing it was Kara fighting for her life. 

They’d only had one night together. Cat had known it wouldn’t be enough, but she’d never imagined it might be all they’d ever get.

**** 

Lucy’s head came up as the whole building shook on its foundation. “Alex?” she murmured into the phone, hearing the other woman’s ragged breathing, what sounded almost like a soft sob. “Alex? What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

Alex didn’t respond, and Lucy swallowed, knowing something had gone sideways. 

She didn’t have the chance to worry about it when she saw a flicker of movement in the reflection on the window. Lucy ducked as Gibbons swung at her, taking a glancing blow on the shoulder before she could pivot and block the doctor’s follow through. Blood was oozing down the side of the psychiatrist’s head, from her nose, and Lucy took perverse satisfaction in knowing she’d hurt the older woman.

Gibbons used her size and weight to slam them both onto the floor. She wrestled the phone away, and Lucy could hear Alex shouting for her. They tussled, Lucy getting in a few solid blows fueled by her hatred for the vile woman, but she was too injured and still too incapacitated to get the upper hand. Gibbons clearly had training, rolling them over and raining punches Lucy blocked with her arms as the whole building shuddered again beneath her.

Shifting, Gibbons drove her knee into Lucy’s injured thigh, squeezing hard until Lucy cried out, trying to twist away to no avail.

Then Gibbons was gone, knocked away by a hurtling form Lucy would know anywhere.

**** 

Alex grunted at the impact, teeth rattling as they slammed into the desk, sending it skidding with them into the wall. The doctor lashed out, connecting with Alex’s jaw and snapping her head back, but it was the only shot Alex was going to let her take. With brutal force, Alex subdued the other woman, managing to spin her about and shove her face first onto the dusty linoleum floor. Bracing a knee in the doctor’s back, Alex yanked Gibbons’ arms back, securing her hands with a zip tie.

“You okay?” Alex shouted over her shoulder at Lucy who groaned in pain. The doctor continued to struggle, and when the floor vibrated beneath them as Kara’s battle waged on, Alex lost all patience. She slipped her tranq gun out of the holster, getting to her feet and firing one shot right into the doctor’s back. Gibbons twitched for a few moments before slumping into a heap, unconscious.

Sliding the weapon back into the holster, Alex spun and dropped back to the floor beside Lucy. “Hey…” Alex whispered with worry, but then the major groaned again, hauling herself up at the waist and wrapping her arms around Alex’s neck.

“I knew you were alive,” Lucy breathed against Alex’s skin, burrowing closer. “Those _bastards…_ ”

Breathing hard, Alex pulled her in tighter, tangling a hand in Lucy’s soft hair. She closed her eyes when she heard another explosion, her heart torn between soaring at finding Lucy safe and breaking as Kara fought for her life. “We’ve got to go.”

Lucy nodded. Alex eased back, unable to stop herself from cupping Lucy’s cheek and looking into those green eyes she’d missed desperately. “Can you walk?”

“Hand me the crutches,” Lucy ordered, determined. 

Alex lifted her up before reaching down and retrieving them, handing the crutches over. The building shook again, and they both nearly lost their footing.

“What is that?” Lucy looked at Alex with concern, and Alex realized there were still tears on her face. She wiped at them with the back of her hand impatiently.

“Kara. There were two Red Tornadoes waiting for us when we got inside.”

“Alex…” Lucy hissed in warning, her gaze darting toward the doorway.

Spinning, Alex put herself between Lucy and the threat, drawing her weapon on a man in scrubs standing there with his hands up, a small device in the grip of his right hand. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

His gaze darted to Gibbons before looking back at the pair. “Take it,” he told Lucy, slowly lowering his arm and offering them the device.

Lucy stared at him in surprise.

“I’m sorry for my part in all this, Major. Take it,” he insisted.

Alex glanced back at Lucy who nodded. Stepping forward, Alex snatched the device away while keeping the tranq gun trained on the man. 

“Is there a way to stop the androids?” Lucy demanded.

He shook his head. “We have no control of them. They’re meant to keep us in as much as keep aliens out.”

Alex’s jaw tightened, desperate to get Lucy out of there and get back to Kara. She raised her weapon and the doctor nodded in understanding. Without a second thought, Alex pulled the trigger twice to put down a man his size. He slumped, and Alex stepped forward, wrapping an arm around him to ease his fall.

“Who is he?” she demanded, groaning at his weight.

“O'Bannon. The doctor that treated me. The device is alien. Speeds up healing.”

Alex dropped him to the floor, more gently than she thought he deserved, before she tucked the device in another pocket and traded her tranq gun for the real thing. “Stay behind me,” she ordered before she tapped her earpiece. “Vasquez?”

“Here, Ma’am,” the agent responded instantly, her voice somber. 

“Come get us.”

****

Heart in her throat, Alex stumbled out into the night. Lucy was right behind her, managing to keep pace despite her pain and crutches, but her energy was starting to flag. To her left, Kara was locked in a punishing battle with one of the androids. The other was down a few feet away, parts of it scattered across the ground. A roar to her right made her turn as the SUV bounded down a small hill, bursting through the fence. The vehicle hit the gravel with a nauseating lurch before powering toward them. Alex pivoted, scooping Lucy into her arms.

“I’ve got you,” she promised, sprinting into the open as Vasquez angled toward them. 

No shouts or gunfire greeted them, the general obviously having put all his faith in the androids to stop any intruders from infiltrating the compound. The ground shuddered beneath Alex’s boots as she reached the vehicle, and Cat threw open the door, her eyes panicked but her features tight and focused. 

Lucy inhaled sharply in surprise at the sight of the other woman as Cat helped Alex slide Lucy inside, reaching around her to buckle her in.

“Get her and Cat out of here,” Alex ordered Vasquez, starting to slam the door, but Lucy shot out her hand, blocking it.

“Where are you going?” Lucy demanded. “Alex, there’s nothing you can do.”

Alex swore when she saw Cat scramble out the other side, knowing exactly where Cat was headed. It was where she needed to be herself. “I can’t leave her, Lucy.”

“Alex…” Lucy pleaded, trying to make her see reason. “That thing will kill you, and if you distract Kara…”

“I can’t,” Alex gasped. “She’s my sister. _I can’t._ ” She exchanged a nod with Vasquez. “Keep her safe.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Vasquez promised.

“Alex,” Lucy shouted helplessly as Alex broke into a run. 

Boots pounding over slick gravel and mud, Alex ran through the rain, her eyes fixed on Kara as she struggled to stop the last android. Kara was moving slower, almost sluggish, and Alex’s heart rate jacked even higher when she realized her sister was teetering on the edge of a blow out. If Kara lost her powers now, they were all as good as dead.

A thought struck her, one so absurd and crazy it just might work.

If it didn’t get them all killed first.

**** 

The boots weighed her down as Cat ran, stumbling toward Kara. She didn’t know what in the hell she was doing, running toward the fight instead of away from it, but she had to do something. The gun dug into her hip, reminding her of its presence, and Cat knew she’d use it even if all she could do was give Kara a few moments of distraction, even if it meant that _thing_ turned on her.

Alex yelled at her to stop, but Cat ignored her. She couldn’t stop, no matter how much she knew she should.

Cat had watched Kara fight on video too many time to count, had been present for a handful of tussles herself, but nothing could have prepared her for the sheer violence of the struggle happening now. The closer she came, the more she could feel the strikes, the sounds so loud and brutal they thudded painfully inside her guts. 

The android grabbed Kara and slammed her into the ground with so much force it caused Cat to topple and fall to her knees, rocks digging into her skin. Lungs burning, she struggled to get back to her feet, but something suddenly hit her hard, dragging her all the way over, and Cat plowed into the ground with a grunt.

“You idiot,” Alex hissed, but Cat didn’t miss a heavy note of understanding in the agent’s tone.

“Get off me,” Cat barked, furious at the other woman, throwing her elbow back and striking Alex in the stomach. Alex huffed out a breath in surprise and pain and Cat did the same, Alex’s vest offering very little give.

“Cat, stop.” Alex wrapped her arms around her, immobilizing her effectively. “Please, stop.”

Cat looked up and went still, finding Kara’s eyes on them from twenty yards away, a flash of fear flickering across her features as the android noticed them as well, turning toward them menacingly. 

“Shit,” Alex growled, yanking Cat up and toward their only protection, one of the handful of humvees the sat empty and waiting. 

They didn’t need it. As the android started toward them, Kara let out a howl of rage, scrambling up from the ground and grabbing it, whirling the Red Tornado around and punching it hard enough to make Cat’s teeth ache from the vibration of the impact.

“Stay here!” Alex ordered her. “If you move from this spot, I’ll shoot you myself.”

Cat glared, but she did as she was told, sliding her weapon free and awkwardly thumbing off the safety.

“That won’t put a dent in him,” Alex muttered, but her own weapon was out, a false sense of security in her hands.

“Then how do we stop it?” Cat snarled.

Alex bit her lip. “Know what a Hail Mary is?”

****

Kara slowly pulled herself upright, her legs shaking with fatigue. The remaining Red Tornado flew at her again, knocking her into the side of another humvee that crumpled at the impact and tipped over.

The androids were far more resistant to her heat vision and freeze breath than they had been before. Too resistant. One she could stop. Two was too much after losing the D.E.O., after the hell this week had wreaked on her spirit and body.

But she had to find a way. It knew Cat and Alex were close by and it would kill them when it was through with her. She couldn’t let that happen. 

She wouldn’t.

Kara staggered to her feet, putting herself between the women she loved and the creature who wanted to hurt them. It wasn’t without injury and it moved slower, but it didn’t feel pain. It didn’t feel fear. Kara felt both so acutely it was hard to think.

“Kara!” Alex screamed. “You need to fly!”

Kara frowned, looking back at her sister in confusion. Cat was by Alex’s side, her eyes full of anguish that sent a different kind of pain quaking through Kara’s chest. Thank Rao Cat had come to her last night, that she’d been able to show the woman how much she meant to her. She could go to Rao’s light with that comfort.

“Kara!” Alex yelled again. “Fly!”

It sounded like an order and Kara ripped her attention away from them, tipping her chin toward the sky as the rain began to sheet down on them heavily.

Then it clicked, what Alex wanted her to do. She glanced back at her sister, nodding once and Alex did the same, her faith in Kara blazing in her eyes.

With a final burst of power, Kara shot skyward into the night, the Red Tornado giving chase. When she could simply go no higher, her powers rapidly failing, Kara turned to face the android as it swept up in front of her, tilting its head in challenge.

“You’ve learned a few things,” Kara told it. “But so have I.”

A flash of light reflected off the android’s hull, a familiar green hue bathing its features. The air sizzled around them, and Kara could almost feel the heat of the laser bearing down on her back. With a dark smile, Kara simply gave up, falling back toward the Earth as the laser sliced through the air where she’d been, shearing the android in half before an explosion whited out the night sky.

****


	12. Chapter 12

Heart heavy, Alex watched as Cat drew Kara closer. Her sister’s head rested on Cat’s shoulder, tucked protectively against the other woman’s neck. Cat held her tightly in the back seat of the SUV as it bounced and dipped on the uneven road. They were moving faster than when they’d arrived, and Alex clenched her teeth, battling a vicious case of nausea that she couldn’t blame entirely on the terrain. 

Her sister was so still. 

Tears blurred Alex’s view as she listened to Cat murmuring softly to Kara. Alex couldn’t make out the words, but there was no denying the love in Cat’s eyes, in her gentle touch as she drifted her fingers through Kara’s damp hair, over the apple of her cheek. It felt wrong to entrust Kara’s care to someone else, but Alex could see her sister was in good hands.

“Alex.” Lucy’s fingers rested on Alex’s knee, squeezing softly. “She’ll be okay.”

Alex nodded, unconvinced, but her hand tangled with Lucy’s, needing the other woman’s touch, her comfort. “What about you?”

Lucy nodded, but she looked so exhausted Alex ached for her.

“We’re almost clear, Ma’ams,” Vasquez murmured.

“Are we being followed?” Alex asked in a hoarse voice.

“No, Ma’am. And if they’re trying to track us, that won’t work, either. Still have a few tricks and toys up my sleeve.”

“Just get us on a flat road, Vasquez.”

“Working on it, Ma’am.”

Alex glanced at Lucy again, concerned by her silence, but the other woman was watching Cat and Kara with a sad smile on her lips. Her thumb stroked the back of Alex’s hand, the simple touch keeping Alex in the moment when she felt close to drowning in a sea of her own recriminations. This was never supposed to happen. She should have pulled back and regrouped until they knew what they would be up against, but her feelings for Lucy had gotten the better of her and nearly cost Kara her life.

With one last hard bump, the SUV hit asphalt, and several of them groaned in relief. 

There was a soft click, and Alex glanced up, watching as Lucy slipped her seat belt off. “What are you-?” She trailed off as Lucy scooted closer, laying her head down on Alex’s leg and drawing her legs up, knees bent, onto the seat. 

“Kara’s got the right idea,” Lucy murmured, pulling their clasped hands to her chest. She looked up at Alex, her pale green eyes intense even in the low light, and in spite of everything, Alex felt a jolt to her guts as their gazes met. “Do you mind?” Lucy asked softly.

Unable to get words past the lump in her throat, Alex shook her head, tightening her grip on Lucy’s hand.

With a faint smile, Lucy closed her eyes. 

****

The rental house was unsettling quiet as Cat watched the doctor and nurse she’d hired drive away into the middle of the night. It chaffed that Alex refused to have them look after Kara, but Cat supposed she could understand why. Even bruised, filthy, and out of her trademark suit, Kara was still recognizable. While Cat trusted the medical professionals would stay mum about Lucy, she couldn’t say the same about Supergirl.

Cat closed the front door and nodded distractedly at Vasquez. The agent was still armed, sitting in the living room, tapping away at her computers. Cat went the opposite way, stepping into the kitchen for a glass of water, startled when she found Alex waiting for her.

“How’s Lucy?” Cat asked tightly, fetching a glass from the cupboard and filling it at the sink. 

“About like you’d expect. I’m about to go check on her one last time.” Alex swallowed, clearly uncomfortable with the tension thrumming between them. “She’s going to be okay, Cat.”

Cat bristled, understanding they were no longer talking about Baby Lane. She set her water down on the counter, squeezing the glass so tightly she thought she might break it. “She’s powerless and still unconscious, and you want to give me platitudes?” Cat would never forget the image of Alex rising up from the destruction at the compound, Kara’s lifeless body heavy in her arms, tears streaming down Alex’s cheeks. She saw the moment every time she closed her eyes. 

“I know better.” Alex sighed, and Cat ached for her in spite of her ire. Alex was barely on her feet, a bruise the size of a fist darkening along her jaw. “This is new to you, but I’ve been looking after Kara since I was fourteen. Her pulse is strong. There’s no evidence of broken bones or internal bleeding. She’s just… exhausted. Drained. The only things that will make her feel better is rest and sun.” Alex glanced down at the floor. “And you,” she added softly.

Cat stared at her, wanting to be mad at Kara’s sister, to use that anger as a defense against her fear and worry for the woman they both cared for. She moved closer and Alex stiffened, her weary frame taking on a rigidity that appeared almost painful as she crossed her arms defensively over her chest. “I’m sorry,” Cat ground out, hating to offer an apology even when one was due. “Sorry for what I said when...”

Alex swallowed again. “You weren’t saying anything I wasn’t accusing myself of already.”

“I realize what it must have taken you… to turn away.”

Tears threatened in Alex’s dark eyes but they didn’t fall. “No,” she said quietly and with utter conviction. “You don’t.”

Cat didn’t take offense, too amazed by Alex’s fierce devotion to her sister. They weren’t even blood, but Cat had never seen a truer depiction of family. “Promise me,” she pleaded after a minute of tense silence. “Promise me she’s going to be okay.”

“So much about Kara’s biology is still unknown to us, but I’ve… I’ve seen her worse. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

The answer was the most acceptable one Cat knew she was going to get. “The laser was different this time. Green instead of red.”

“Modified with kryptonite if I had to take a guess. No doubt General Lane wanted to make sure it got the job done.” Alex regarded Cat. “You were right, about them using Lucy as bait.”

“And you were right to tell Kara to fly. They’ll think she’s dead, won’t they?”

“I hope so. That will buy us a little more time.” Alex sighed, swaying slightly with fatigue. “You talk to Lois?”

Cat nodded. “She was relieved to know Lucy is in your care, and she knows the plan, knows what she has to do. I still don’t like it, but I suppose there is no choice.” 

“I don’t either, but unless you’ve got a better suggestion, I’m all out of ideas.”

Hesitantly, Cat reached out, placing her hand on Alex’s arm. “You should get some rest, Alex.” Cat turned to go, surprised to feel Alex’s fingers wrap around her wrist and pull her back, and suddenly she was wrapped up in strong arms as Alex held her tightly. 

“I would have given my life for her tonight, any night,” Alex choked out.

“I know,” Cat whispered, realizing she believed that to her core. “So would I.” She held Alex for a moment longer, surprised the contact was actually welcome on both sides. “You tend to Lucy. I’ll let you know if Kara needs anything.”

Alex nodded before she slowly released her, wiping at her eyes as she moved past her without another word.

****

The door closed quietly behind her, and Alex leaned against it. Lucy was sitting on the side of the bed, her whole frame slouched with exhaustion. She’d changed into the soft cotton t-shirt and shorts Alex had packed for her, her bare legs dangling but not quite reaching the floor. Alex could tell she was in pain, and she frowned when she glimpsed the fresh bandage wrapped around Lucy’s right leg. The major looked on the verge of defeat, her green eyes dull and lifeless. 

Alex swallowed, her hands balling into helpless fists at her sides. God help her, if she ever got the chance, General Lane would know the pain he’d put his daughter through. She cleared her throat. “Lucy?”

The major sucked in a breath and lifted her head, looking toward the doorway. She blinked when she saw Alex, finally registering her presence, and a small, sweet smile shaped her lips. The sight of it lifted Alex’s mood and spirit instantly.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Alex drawled, moving closer. “How you feeling?”

“Like I fought a Red Tornado instead of Kara. She okay?”

Alex managed a half smile. “Blew out her powers, but she’ll be fine,” she tried to convince them both.

“Bad timing,” Lucy murmured. 

“Yeah, but hopefully we’ll have a few days here to rest and catch our breath.”

“I’m so sorry, Alex.”

Awkwardly, Alex sat on the bed next to Lucy. Just her presence there, real and warm and solid, steadied Alex in a way nothing else had since the destruction of the D.E.O. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“My dad…”

“Made his own decisions. None of this is your fault.”

“But I...”

“No.” Alex reached down between them, taking Lucy’s hand in hers. Lucy looked up at her in surprise, but she didn’t pull away. “No,” Alex said again, holding Lucy’s gaze, willing her to believe. “He would have done this regardless. He’s been building to it for a long time. I’m just… I’m sorry he let you down like this. Betrayed you like this.” 

Wearily, Lucy listed to her right, resting her head on Alex’s shoulder. Her thumb lazily stroked the back of Alex’s hand like she’d done in the car, the tiny gesture meaning everything. Alex closed her eyes at the contact, soaking it in, nearly falling asleep sitting up.

“They drugged me again,” Lucy murmured, referring to the doctor and nurse who’d recently departed. “Tired of being drugged.”

“I know.” Alex leaned her own head down, resting it against Lucy’s. “But going all Rambo tonight busted your stitches. We’ll start easing you off the hard stuff tomorrow.”

They were quiet a moment, their slow breathing mingling with the sound of the steady rain outside.

“Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Did I imagine the part where Cat Grant was there? Because I had to have imagined that, right?”

“Believe it or not, that was real.”

“Huh.” 

Alex chuckled softly, relieved to see a sliver of Lucy’s personality emerging. “You need to get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow.” Reluctantly, Alex stood, but Lucy didn’t release her hand. Alex wasn’t sure the other woman even knew she was still holding it, but Alex was touched that Lucy didn't want to let her go. The feeling was mutual.

Lucy sighed, but she let Alex help her stand so they could toss the sheets back, allowing Lucy to slip beneath them. Alex tucked her in with care, hating to leave Lucy alone and wondering if she could get away with sleeping in the chair in the corner. 

“They told me you were dead.”

Alex went still, the breath knocked out of her. 

“They had pictures.” Lucy swallowed, unable to meet Alex’s gaze. “And… and they said Kara had been killed… I…” She drew in a deep breath, her eyes wet with tears. She finally looked up at Alex with a tremulous smile. “I knew they were lying. I knew you couldn’t be gone, but there were moments when I was so scared you might be.” 

Alex bit her lip, suspecting they both needed something they were each too afraid to voice. With a sigh, she shrugged out of her tactical vest and tossed it over the chair before slipping her holster off and setting it on the nightstand. Her backup weapon soon followed.

“What are you doing?” Lucy asked softly, but her gaze held intrigue as she watched Alex with so much exhaustion it hurt.

“What?” Alex teased. “You don’t know a strip tease when you see one?”

Lucy slumped back against her pillows as Alex untied and kicked her boots off. “Well then by all means, Danvers, don’t let me interrupt.”

Alex grinned, sliding her belt off before removing her pants then she reached under her shirt and unhooked her bra, tossing it aside after pulling it through her sleeve.

“Your routine needs work,” Lucy muttered. “But I’m still enjoying the show.”

Grunting in amusement, Alex rounded the bed and crawled beneath the sheets, settling next to Lucy. “Don’t snore too loudly, Major. I’ve had a long day.”

The unspoken gratitude in Lucy’s eyes made Alex’s chest ache. She turned toward the smaller woman, fighting the urge to touch her, to run her fingers through Lucy’s hair, to kiss her and never stop. “Get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up, alive and still kicking.”

Lucy reached out, running a finger along the curve of Alex’s jaw. “Please tell me this is real. That they didn’t get in my head.”

“They didn’t,” Alex insisted, certain of the fact on every level. “And I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Wincing slightly, Lucy rolled toward her, and Alex gasped softly as Lucy curled around her, their bare legs tangling as Lucy tucked her head under Alex’s chin. “I’m sorry,” Lucy whispered. “I just… I need…”

Alex’s arms came around her instantly. Her eyes fluttered closed at the full body contact, and she guiltily soaked in the sensation. “Are you okay? Is this comfortable?”

“This is… heaven.” Lucy’s breath was warm as a blew across the open V of Alex’s shirt. “I can hear your heart beating.” Alex felt Lucy’s lips ease into a smile. “It’s going pretty fast.”

“Wonder why?” Alex murmured with a wondering grin, her thumbs gently stroking Lucy’s back through the thin shirt she wore.

“Wish I could stay awake. Enjoy this.” Lucy’s voice slurred with sleep, her body growing looser, heavier. 

“I guess we’ll just have to do it again sometime,” Alex said with a smile.

****

Ducking her head under the shower spray, Cat wearily rinsed the soap from her aching limbs. Bruises liberally dotted her body, so many she’d lost count, and her knees throbbed from where she’d landed on them in the gravel. She gave into a pathetic moment of longing for her life back in National City, wishing for her sinfully deep bathtub and a bottle of Blanton’s to help her forget this day.

Tears mixed with the water as Cat braced her hands on the wall, the memory of Alex lifting Kara from the rubble refusing to be banished. She’d thought the worst in that moment, that Kara had been lost to them, and the pain she’d felt had been indescribable. A sob threatened at the back of her throat, but Cat held it at bay. If she started crying now she might never stop. 

Shutting off the water, Cat grabbed her towel, gingerly drying herself off as she tried to avoid the worst of her scrapes and bruises. She’d treat them in the morning when she had the energy.   
After changing into a pair of black silk pajamas, Cat returned to the bedroom, taking a moment to simply take in the sight of Kara lying in the bed. Every ache, every pain, every fear slipped to the back of her mind as she watched the younger woman sleep, her breathing deep and even. 

Kara was worth it all, every miserable, agonizing moment.

Taking a deep breath, Cat crawled under the sheets and shut off the light. Rain pattered on the window, soft and soothing, and with no hesitation, Cat wrapped herself around Kara’s naked body. She’d stripped her of her wet clothes before washing away dirt and small smatterings of blood, drying her with the softest towel she could find. Kara didn’t move, her body leaden beneath her, and Cat tucked her head against the younger woman’s shoulder.

Kissing warm skin, Cat closed her eyes, settling one hand on Kara’s bare stomach where she could feel the rise and fall of her breath. “You’re not alone,” Cat whispered, determined to keep Kara from any nightmares once more.

She could only hope the heat of Kara’s body would do the same for her. 

****

“Where is she?”

“Hello to you too, Dad,” Lois sniffed, sitting up in bed in her darkened hotel room, taking perverse pleasure at the role reversal from their last call. She’d spoken with Cat hours ago, learning of the daring rescue the Danvers sisters had managed to pull off. She’d been expecting her father’s call, hoping to draw his ire on her and away from the others. The more she distracted him, the easier the others could work to stop him.

“You and your friends might have taken Lucy, but was it worth it? Sacrificing Supergirl?”

Lois knew better, but she played along. “You’ll pay for that. What’s the President going to think when she hears what you’ve done?”

“That I was protecting a military asset. That we had no way of knowing Supergirl would storm in there.”

“You don’t think she’ll wonder why the same kind of laser that was used to destroy the D.E.O. was used by a member of the United States military to defend an off the books black site? You’re slipping, Dad. The cracks in your plan are showing.”

“We have plenty of plans in place for this scenario, Lois. The President will believe exactly what I tell her. Even if she doesn’t, she’ll have no proof. Nor will you.”

“Not even bothering to deny it now, are you?”

“I will get Lucy back,” General Lane vowed. “But for now, I think I’ll enjoy a cigar and a glass of whiskey to toast Supergirl’s timely demise. The world is safer tonight for her being gone.”

“Fuck you,” Lois snarled, not having to pretend to be upset this time. 

“Give Lucy my best. And tell Alex Danvers I’ll be talking to her soon.”

He disconnected, leaving Lois feeling a strange mixture of relief and dread. 

Beyond her window, the Capitol gleamed in the dead of night. The race to stop her father had just entered a new phase. 

Losing wasn’t an option.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all the angst of the last several chapters, it's time to lighten the mood just a little.

Cat woke reluctantly, staring at the gray light filtering in the window. The memories of the night before came back in a vivid rush, and she felt a surge of panic until she realized Kara’s fingertips were drawing idle patterns on her back. Cat closed her eyes, relief coursing through her and drowning the fears that had kept her restless past dawn. 

“You okay?” Kara asked softly, understanding heavy in her tone.

Shifting, Cat eased up on an elbow, grateful for the sight of ocean-blue eyes that regarded her warmly. “That should be my line.” Part of her wanted to rant and rave at Kara for scaring her, but she was so goddamn grateful to have her back she couldn’t find the words.

Kara smiled. “I’m fine,” she promised. “A little less ‘super’ right now, but I’m okay.” She studied Cat, her gaze full of wonder. “You ran toward the fight.”

“That’s where the story was,” Cat deflected.

Kara’s gentle touch continued, tracing down Cat’s spine before sliding back up again. She wasn’t buying the excuse, her gaze boring gently into Cat and leaving her feeling raw and exposed. 

“I couldn’t…” Cat swallowed. “I couldn’t stay away. Even though I probably should have.”

“Probably,” Kara whispered. “But I was so glad I got to see you one last time.”

“Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Pursing her lips, Kara shook her head. “I can’t promise you that. I can only promise you that I’ll do everything I can to…”

“To what?” Cat breathed.

“Come back to you,” Kara finished softly. “If… if you want me to.”

“I want.” Cat couldn’t help herself, dipping her head and kissing the younger woman until they were both breathless.

“Mmm,” Kara hummed when they parted. Her gaze was sleepy but content, and her fingers traced Cat’s answering smile. “Not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”

“Being kissed?”

“Being kissed by you.” Kara’s touch tangled in Cat’s loose curls. “I hate not having my powers, but there are some benefits,” she murmured. 

“Such as?” Cat encouraged, curious about Kara’s condition. She set aside the horrors of the the night before, focusing instead on the curves pressed against her, on the blue of Kara’s eyes, choosing to think about what they were becoming instead of what they’d almost lost.

“Feeling the heat of you everywhere. Experiencing how soft your hair actually is.” Kara’s arms suddenly curled around Cat’s back, and she nearly squeezed the breath from Cat’s lungs. “Being able to hold you as tightly as I dare knowing I won’t hurt you.”

Cat’s hands moved of their own volition over the tempting body beneath her. She vividly recalled how Kara’s hands felt on her body, her eager mouth, the sounds she’d made as she’d come undone. Her desire for the woman woke strong and hungry, but she resisted temptation, even as Kara welcomed her touch, encouraged it.

“You’re hurt,” Cat reminded them both as Kara unexpectedly rolled them over, settling warm and firm on top of her.

“I’m powerless,” Kara breathed, her own hands beginning to wander. “I’m not hurt.”

Cat swallowed as Kara nipped along Cat’s clavicle. “Alex said you need rest.”

“Hmm. You should make sure I stay in bed then.”

“Kara…” The rest of Cat’s protest was silenced by another heated kiss, and Cat struggled to remember why making love to this woman was a bad idea at the moment. “Your sister is right down the hall,” she gasped as Kara released her mouth only to begin a sensual assault on her throat, her hands sliding between them to cup Cat’s breasts.

“Guess we’ll have to be quiet.” 

“This is insane…” Cat mumbled, already surrendering to Kara’s touch with disgusting ease.

“I don’t care. I’m not wasting this chance to be with you, to feel you like this.” Kara blew hotly into Cat’s ear, making her shiver with anticipation. “I want you to make me yours. To mark me when I can feel it, when it will linger on my skin.”

Cat groaned softly, the invitation too tempting to resist.

**** 

Rain drummed on the roof and tapped lightly against the windows. The sounds tempted Lucy to slide back into sleep, but she resisted, enjoying the warm body at her side, one long arm draped possessively and protectively across her waist.

Turning her head to the right, Lucy savored the sight of Alex Danvers sleeping soundly beside her. On her stomach, her features turned toward Lucy, Alex breathed slow and deep, and Lucy suspected this was the first decent rest Alex had enjoyed in days. There were dark circles under her eyes, and a bruise had formed during the night where Gibbons had gotten off a lucky punch, but Alex was still beautiful. 

It was so tempting to lean in just a little, to let her lips graze Alex’s cheek, to let her mouth skim that sinfully perfect jaw, but when she finally worked up the nerve to kiss Alex Danvers, the other woman was damn well going to be awake to reciprocate.

But Lucy still reached out carefully, tracing one of Alex’s eyebrows before letting her fingers drift through Alex’s hair, easing it behind the other woman’s ear so she could see her better. Alex stirred slightly, a sleepy smile forming on her lips that made Lucy’s heart trip and stumble in reaction, but the agent didn’t wake.

Lucy’s stomach chose that moment to grumble in protest, wanting real food and not the frozen dinners they’d given her at the compound. With a regretful sigh, she eased out of the bed. Before she went anywhere, however, she was going to get a damn shower first.

Grabbing her new crutches, she got no more than a step or two when a voice halted her in her tracks.

“Where in the hell do you think you’re going?”

Lucy grinned, having missed that voice desperately. “To take a shower. Why? Want to join me?” 

Alex fumbled with the sheets, finally untangling herself and climbing out of bed with a scowl. “You can’t get your new stitches wet.”

“I’ve had nothing but sponge baths for a week, Danvers. I’m taking the hottest, longest shower on the planet and nothing is going to stop me.” Lucy watched as Alex padded toward her, brown eyes sleepy and hair tousled. Alex Danvers was sexy as hell right out of bed, and Lucy didn’t bother to hide her appreciation of Alex’s long, muscular legs as the agent drew closer. 

“You’re determined to give me an ulcer,” Alex grumbled. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing at the edge of the bed.

Curious, Lucy did as she was told. Alex yawned into her fist as she crossed the room, rifling through a duffle bag sitting in the armchair before she drew out a large adhesive bandage. 

“I knew you’d pull something like this,” Alex muttered, but her tone was laced with affection. “These are waterproof. They’ll keep those new stitches dry a little while longer.”

“Thank you, Doctor Danvers.”

Alex’s lips twitched as she ripped open the packaging and knelt down on one knee. Lucy’s breath caught in surprise as Alex unwrapped the old bandage, tracing the healing wound lightly with her fingers. Licks of fire raced up Lucy’s leg, both in pain and pleasure, and she bit her lip as Alex surveyed her recovery and deemed it acceptable. Lucy knew she’d had one or two fantasies that started with Alex on her knees, but this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

Using a delicate touch, Alex applied the new bandage, her fingertips tickling as they smoothed the edges down. She looked up at Lucy when she was nearly finished, hesitating when their gazes locked.

“Sure you don’t want to join me?” Lucy asked. Her tone was teasing, but she knew she was staring at Alex hungrily. “You could hold me up in there.”

Alex’s thumb traced below the edge of the bandage, along the sensitive skin behind Lucy’s thigh. The rain continued to drum against the window as she weighed her options, but Lucy took heart that she was clearly thinking about it.

“Tempting,” Alex finally murmured, and Lucy’s stomach clenched at the husky tone to Alex’s voice that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “But I should check in with Vasquez and see how Kara’s doing.”

Certain her touch wouldn’t be rejected, Lucy ran her hand through Alex’s hair, tucking it behind the agent’s ear once more. “Really glad you’re here,” she whispered.

Alex ducked her head, suddenly bashful, and got to her feet before helping Lucy to hers. “Likewise,” Alex said before she handed Lucy her crutches. “Think you can manage from here?”

Wanting desperately to kiss her, Lucy resisted the desire but only barely, promising herself that before the day was done she’d know what Alex’s mouth tasted like. “If I must,” she sighed dramatically.

Alex smirked. “Don’t use all the hot water, Major.”

****

Alex was unsurprised to see Vasquez tapping away at her computer set up in the living room. “You sleep?”

“A little, Ma’am. Wanted to track communication out of the D.E.O. after our raid last night.”

“Yeah?” Alex said with interest. She settled on the couch next to the agent, staring at the massive amounts of information on the four screen setup. In segments, Alex could figure out what she was seeing, but as a whole, it was overload. “Please tell me the general has his undies in a bunch.”

Vasquez snorted. “He ain’t happy, that’s for sure. He had a pretty tense conversation with Lois Lane last night.”

That news wasn’t unexpected, but Alex’s jaw still clenched in reaction. “What did he say?”

“He thinks Supergirl is dead. He’s also got his sights set on you now, Ma’am.”

Alex rather liked the thought she’d pissed Lane off enough to make him come after her directly, but hopefully Lois would be able to distract him a little longer, at least until Kara got her powers back. She didn’t want Lane anywhere near her sister when she was this vulnerable. “Does he know about Cat?”

Vasquez shook her head. “Her name didn’t come up.”

“Good.” That was something at least, Alex mused. Cat was proving to be their ace in the hole. “Any chance they’ll find us here?”

“I don’t think so, Ma’am. I’m using some emitters to transmit false heat signatures in case they’re searching by drone or chopper. Supergirl tends to read at a higher temperature, although with her powers out, maybe that isn’t the case right now.”

“What about our phones? They still can’t track us, can they?”

“No, Ma’am. I made sure of that. They try to track any of us down right now they’ll wind up in Greenland.” Vasquez typed a few things into one of her screens, missing Alex’s proud smirk as she launched some kind of search. “I have to say, Ms. Grant did an excellent job securing the location, vehicle, and doctors. I’m a little concerned a civilian knows how to avoid us so well.”

“Cat Grant is no ordinary civilian.” Alex grinned as she took another sip of her coffee. She was really starting to like the CEO against her better judgment. Even though it was about the dumbest thing Cat could have done, watching her run toward the fight last night had told Alex all she needed to know about Cat’s feelings for Kara. “At least she’s on our side.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Vasquez hesitated for a moment. “The major okay?”

“She was out of it last night, but she’s back to pushing my buttons this morning so I’m going to take that as a good sign.” For a moment there, Alex had been sure she was about to get kissed. Whether Lucy remembered the date they’d agreed to in the rubble of the D.E.O. or not, Alex was starting to hope they might actually have a chance to make it a reality.

“They told her we were dead, Ma’am.” 

“I know,” Alex said quietly

“How can a father do something like that to his own daughter?”

Alex had been asking herself the same question. “He honestly believes he’s doing the right thing. True believers can be the most dangerous kind.” She sighed. “You should get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on things here, although I might make a donut run. Any sign of Cat or Kara yet?”

Vasquez stood and stretched slightly, shaking her head. “Thought I heard someone moving around earlier, but I haven’t seen either of them, Ma’am.”

Alex nodded. “Susan,” she called out before the agent got too far.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Thanks,” Alex said sincerely. 

“What are friends for, Ma’am?”

“Friends don’t call each other ‘ma’am,’” Alex said pointedly.

Vasquez hesitated. “Wake me if you need anything… Alex.” She pivoted and walked away, missing Alex’s wide grin.

****

Kara sucked on her finger, wincing as it burned. She rather enjoyed Cat pushing the threshold between pleasure and pain, but burning herself on the coffee pot left something to be desired. Being human really was a tradeoff. 

“Maybe I should do that.”

Kara jumped, startled, hating her lack of super hearing. Her frown vanished when she turned, finding Lucy lingering in the doorway, watching her with a smile. She was more casual than Kara had ever seen her, sporting black yoga pants and a white t-shirt, her hair wet and barely brushing the edge of her collar. “Hey,” Kara breathed, relieved to see Lucy safe and sound.

“Hey yourself.” Lucy hobbled into the kitchen on her crutches, and Kara enveloped her in a hug, squeezing carefully. Lucy, however, had no such reservations, clutching Kara tightly with one arm. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Swallowing, Kara remembered what she’d overheard between Gibbons and Lucy’s father. “I’m more worried about you,” she confessed.

“I’m… better.” Lucy smiled briefly as she turned Kara loose and stepped back. “Good night of sleep and getting off those damn drugs they were pumping me full of has made a lot of difference. And I took the best hot shower of my life. Things aren’t so muddy now.”

“Lucy… I’m so sorry. What they were doing to you...”

“Yeah. Daddy dearest really crossed a line this time.” Lucy sighed. “I’m sure everything he’s done will wreck me at some point, but right now I’m more concerned about you and Alex. He wants you dead, Kara.”

“I know.” Kara shrugged, the subject a little too awkward to discuss. “Hopefully he thinks he succeeded for now.” 

“Where’s Cat?”

“Sleeping.” Cat had finally given into her exhaustion, but not before they’d enjoyed a rather stimulating morning together. Kara was still amazed at how much their relationship had changed in the last 48 hours. “She was… tired. Long night, you know.” Kara cleared her throat self-consciously.

Lucy tipped her head slightly, those keen, green eyes missing nothing. “Why are you blushing?”

“Blushing? I-I’m not. Just warm over her near the coffee pot.”

“Kara…” Lucy drawled, suspicious. “You’re totally blushing. Getting redder by the minute, actually.” She eased closer on her crutches, hooking her finger in the collar of Kara’s navy t-shirt and giving it a light tug to bring her closer. “I swear, you’re turning as red as a…” She paused, leaning closer. “Oh my God. Kara Danvers, is that a hickey?!”

Kara stepped back, adjusting her collar to cover the line of marks Cat had left down her collarbone. “No,” she blurted. “It’s bruises. You know, from the fight with the Red Tornadoes.” It sounded like a completely plausible excuse.

“Out of all your superpowers, lying is definitely not one of them.” Lucy hooked her collar again, drawing it down further as her eyebrows climbed in appreciation. She traced the marks with a finger. “Wow. That looks like it was fun.”

If Kara thought she was blushing before, it was nothing compared to the heat that infused her skin now. “Lucy…” she pleaded for a hint of mercy.

Lucy frowned. “Wait a second. You could only have gotten those after losing your…” She looked up, her eyes going wide. “Did… did _Cat_ give you those?”

“Yes. Fine. Cat…” Kara gestured at the marks as she heard the front door close. “Now keep your voice down. She’s trying to sleep.”

“You’re sleeping with Cat Grant?” Lucy bellowed with excitement. “Holy shit, Kara!”

“Well, that’s one way to find out,” Alex muttered as she stepped into the kitchen, rain dripping from her jacket. She held a white box tied with a simple string. 

Normally the sight of a pasty box would send Kara’s mood soaring, but instead she was frozen, mortified, while Lucy at least had the wherewithal to look contrite. 

“I think I’ll just… make more coffee.” Lucy began to fiddle with the coffee maker, pointedly not looking at either of the Danvers sisters.

“You do that,” Kara muttered, wincing as Alex crooked a finger at her before pivoting on her heel and walking away.

“Sorry,” Lucy mouthed as Kara followed her sister out onto the enclosed porch. Kara rolled her eyes before shutting the door behind them.

****

Alex dropped the box on the table and stripped off her rain jacket and tossed it over a chair. “First of all,” she mumbled, turning and pulling Kara into her arms for a long, hard hug. “You okay?”

Kara relaxed slightly, holding her sister tightly and savoring the chance to do so. It felt amazing. “Yeah. Been down this road before.”

“Any injuries I should know about? Are you in pain?”

“I’m fine, Alex,” Kara promised sincerely before stepping back. “I slept like the dead last night and woke up human as you this morning.”

“Why did that sound like an insult?” Alex drawled.

Kara smirked. “Honestly? I’m still tired and my finger hurts where I burned it on the coffee pot, but otherwise, I’m okay.”

Alex nodded before dropping her gaze to the floor between them. “You really scared the hell out of me last night.”

“I know,” Kara said apologetically. 

“At least it worked. General Lane thinks you’re dead.”

Kara took that in. Maybe they would get a few days to finally rest and regroup while the general celebrated her demise, she thought sourly. “Does he know about Cat?” she asked hesitantly.

“We don’t think so.”

Relief rushed through her so hard Kara had to lean her hip against a rocking chair to keep standing. They stared at each other a moment, but Kara looked away first. “You… heard Lucy…”

“I think they heard Lucy in Portland.” Alex sounded both chagrined and smitten, and Kara smiled faintly at the latter. “Is she right? Are you… are you and Cat sleeping together?” Alex asked gently.

Without her glasses to fiddle with, Kara ran a hand through her hair, nerves tumbling in her stomach. “Yes.”

Alex took a deep breath. “When I went to Houston,” she guessed. “You were both… different… when I got back.”

“Is this the part where I get the big sister lecture? Where you tell me to stay away from her because she’s the Queen of All Media?” Kara tried not to feel disappointed, not to get angry, but her temper began to smolder.

“Before all of this? Yeah. You totally would have gotten a lecture.”

Kara glanced at her askance, surprised and cautiously hopeful. “And now?”

“Now?” Alex shrugged, disarming Kara completely. “I watched the way she held you in the SUV last night. I listened to her berate and beg me to go back and help you when you were fighting with the androids.”

Kara swallowed roughly, not having known that.

“Cat ran toward a Red Tornado like she was going to personally dismantle it for hurting you.” Alex shook her head at the memory, but Kara didn’t miss the hint of respect in her sister’s eyes. “She was… so scared for you. I don’t think Cat’s ever been more scared about anything in her life.”

“I…” Kara wasn’t sure what to make of Alex’s revelations, but they warmed her, knowing whatever Cat felt for her it was more than simply physical. 

“And hearing you tell her that you loved her…” Alex continued.

“That was for…” Kara began.

“For me, too. I know.” Alex smiled sadly. “But we both know you wanted Cat to hear the words. That you needed to say them, needed her to know in case you...” Alex trailed off before she came closer, putting her hands on Kara’s shoulders. “You’ve never… been with a woman before.”

“How do you know?” Kara asked. When Alex arched an eyebrow Kara rolled her eyes. “Fine, Cat’s the first, but...” Heat swept through her when she remembered making love to Cat that morning. “But it’s…”

“That good, huh?” Alex teased, playfully touching the tip of Kara’s nose where it was turning bright red.

Kara dropped her gaze, but she couldn’t keep a faint smile off her lips. “She’s… amazing. My sense of touch is so much stronger when she’s near me, Alex. Sometimes I almost feel human _with_ my powers.”

Alex considered that, and Kara could see her sister’s scientific curiosity was intrigued.

“Besides,” Kara continued, “you know we never labeled sexuality on Krypton.”

“I know,” Alex sighed. “And you’re not getting a lecture. You _are_ getting another hug.” Alex pulled her in close, gripping her tightly, and Kara could feel her sister’s love and devotion in every square inch of contact. “And you’re getting my blessing, if that’s something you even want.”

“Always,” Kara murmured in relief.

“And you’re getting donuts.” Alex nudged the box in Kara’s direction.

“Bonus.”

Alex’s features twisted into something a little more sardonic. “Now I just have to decide.”

“Decide what?”

“Which embarrassing stories from your childhood to share with Cat first.” Alex tapped her forefinger against her chin as if deep in thought until Kara smacked her hand away.

“Do it and die,” Kara threatened, but she knew her effort was weak when her lips curved into a smile at her sister’s teasing.

“You’re powerless right now, Supergirl. I could so kick your ass.” Alex looked positively impish.

“Alex,” Kara laughed out the warning.

“Kara and Cat, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S…” Alex darted out of the room with a delighted giggle as Kara gave chase, the two of them nearly bowling Lucy over in the hall as they fled the porch and thundered toward the living room, Kara tackling Alex onto the couch and beginning to tickle her sister into submission.

Shaking her head, Lucy watched the Danvers sisters play, a bittersweet smile on her lips.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some big moments happening for both couples in this chapter. I agonized over these scenes a bit so I hope you like them.

Standing silently on the back porch, Alex couldn’t help but stare. She’d never had much artistic ability like her sister. Alex’s mind found beauty in numbers, in the complexity of science, but in that moment, she would have given anything to be able to paint the sight before her. Lucy stood on the short dock next to the lake, watching the boats bob on the surface, the water churning from the rain. Around her, the fall trees were ablaze in golds and reds, and despite the somber feeling in the air, Alex had never seen Lucy look more beautiful.

It had been less than 24 hours since she’d gotten Lucy back, since she’d experienced how sinfully good Lucy Lane felt wrapped around her in bed. Now that she’d gotten a taste of that heat, Alex wanted more, but she didn’t dare push for it. Not yet. Whatever was happening between them was going to be on Lucy’s terms and timetable. It had to be.

There was still so much Lucy didn’t know about her father. The thought of being the one to tell her, of having to hurt Lucy like that when she’d been through so much already, made Alex’s stomach ache. She knew Cat would do it, breaking news was her very profession. Even Kara would spare Alex the discomfort of the moment, but Alex somehow knew it had to come from her.

Sighing, Alex savored the sight of her for a few seconds more, wishing she could leave Lucy to her thoughts.

But Lucy was injured, she didn’t have her hood up, it was raining, and cold, and she was getting her damn stitches wet.

Alex stepped off the porch, popping up an umbrella and slogging through the grass and mud before tromping across the narrow wooden planks to shelter Lucy from the weather. She only wished she could shelter her from the fallout that was coming.

****

Taking a deep breath of the fall air, Lucy ignored the mist that clung to her jacket and dripped from her chin. Alex was going to have an aneurysm when she realized Lucy was missing, but she’d needed to be outside after being cooped up for over a week. Save for the vivid splashes of color the fall trees afforded her, the rest of the world was in shades of gray. The weather was supposed to improve tomorrow, but the dreary, damp November day suited her current mood.

As if on cue, Lucy heard the squish of boots on the fallen leaves, and she smiled in anticipation, but the expression was gone by the time Alex drew even with her on the short boat dock, looking out on the lake below. 

“It’s pretty,” Lucy murmured when Alex didn’t say anything for several moments.

“It’s cold and it’s wet.”

Lucy glanced at her askance, her smile returning slightly when she realized Alex was standing next to her with a large umbrella to cover them both. “My hero,” she joked faintly, but there was sincerity in her tone if Alex chose to hear it.

Alex looked at her then. “What part of 'keep your stitches dry' wasn’t clear?” 

“I put on another one of those bandages before I came out here, Dr. Danvers. Your impending ulcer can chill.”

Alex grinned reluctantly. “You okay? Kara and I driving you crazy? I thought it would take at least one more day in close quarters before you ran away screaming.”

“I doubt I’ll be running anywhere for a while.” Lucy pushed her crutches out dramatically before leaning on them again. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. And you and Kara are… adorable.”

“I’m going to tell my mother that. She would disagree. So what are you doing out here?”

“I needed to breathe a little.” The rain pelted pleasantly on the umbrella overhead. With Alex’s warm presence on her left, Lucy felt safer and more centered than she had in days. “Still trying to wrap my head around everything that’s happened, I guess.”

“And how’s that going?” Alex glanced at her, those pretty brown eyes quietly assessing.

“I think I’m getting pretty good at denial,” Lucy admitted, looking back to the lake, listening to the water lap against the moorings underfoot. A small pontoon boat bobbed beside them, tied to the dock, creaking softly. “I can’t believe he did that to me. What he was going to do.”

Alex shifted closer, her arm hesitantly wrapping around Lucy’s shoulders to draw her in further out of the rain. Lucy’s heart rate spiked at the touch, Alex’s heat potent enough to seep through her jacket. 

“Well you certainly got your revenge on that doctor,” Alex murmured, trying to keep the moment casual. “I was impressed.”

“Bitch had it coming.”

A proud grin flickered across Alex’s lips before it faded. “Do you want to talk about… that? The... um…”

“My father trying to brainwash me into hating aliens? To be the perfect, dutiful daughter?”

Alex pursed her lips and nodded.

“Not really. Not yet, anyway.”

“I hope you won’t hold it against me, but if I get the opportunity I’m going to punch your father in the face.”

“Only if I don’t punch him first.” Lucy swallowed and closed her eyes, breathing Alex in, enjoying the living warmth at her side. They lingered in silence for a moment, content to be close after a week apart. “Did he do it?” Lucy asked softly, needing to know, suspecting Alex had come to tell her. “Did he destroy the D.E.O.?”

Alex flinched, and Lucy had her answer. 

“Lucy…”

“Gibbons all but told me he did it. I didn’t want to believe her. Didn’t want to think my own father…” Lucy sighed, still expecting to feel anger, horror, even regret at what he father had done, but all she felt was numb.

“It sounds so inadequate to say it, but I’m sorry.”

Lucy shook her head, not ready to process the full ramifications of her father's actions, especially not when Alex was standing by her side, when she'd desperately missed this woman for days and days.

“I knew you’d come,” Lucy said quietly, changing the topic slightly as she glanced back up at Alex, finding the taller woman’s eyes already on her. “I knew I just had to hold on. You actually showed up sooner than I would have thought.”

“Helps to have a billionaire media mogul in your pocket.”

Lucy smiled at that. She was going to owe Cat big time when this was over. 

“If you knew we were coming, why did you risk the phone call?”

“I…” Lucy swallowed. “I needed to hear your voice. To know you weren’t…”

Alex shifted, and suddenly Lucy was wrapped in strong arms. Tears threatened, but she held them back by sheer stubborn will. She’d done enough crying this week. 

“I can’t believe they tried to convince me you were dead.” The icy numbness dissolved at last as anger stirred in her guts at the pain her father was willing to cause her to suit his needs. She could excuse him for almost all of it, chalking up most of it to insanity, but making her think Alex was gone? That was inexcusable.

Alex’s grip on her tightened almost imperceptibly. “Well, I’m sure your father certainly wished I was a few times this last week.” She sounded pleased at the thought. “I did try to make his life... difficult.”

Lucy leaned back slightly, their gazes locking, and heat swept through her, despite everything, warming her nicely against the fall chill. She wondered what Alex would do if she kissed her, right now in the gentle rain. “I suspected as much.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way,” Alex teased faintly, trying to lighten Lucy’s mood.

“I can think of plenty of ways to have you, Danvers,” Lucy teased half-heartedly, having missed their banter when she’d been taken and isolated. 

Alex’s opened her mouth to respond only to quickly shut it, floundering adorably for a comeback. “That’s… okay. Wow.” She cleared her throat, a blush rapidly spreading up her pale neck despite the chill in the air. “On that note…”

Lucy eyed her with open appreciation, beyond grateful to know this amazing woman. “Thanks for coming for me, Alex.”

“Always,” Alex promised instantly. She ducked her head, unable to handle the gratitude in Lucy’s eyes. “We should get you back inside.”

“But it’s pretty,” Lucy argued for form.

“It’s cold and it’s wet,” Alex reminded her.

“In a minute. I’m enjoying this a little too much.” Lucy felt Alex draw in a deep breath at her admission. The taller woman’s hold tightened, and Lucy closed her eyes in pleasure, tucking her head under Alex’s chin. 

“Me too,” Alex said after a moment, her voice faint and laced with nerves, but it still sent Lucy’s heart into a delightful free fall.

Lucy lifted her head, finding Alex waiting. Her gaze dipped to Alex’s lips before sweeping back up to her eyes, feeling a pull toward the other woman she could no longer fight. “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything,” Alex said readily, but her voice was huskier than it had been.

“I really want to kiss the hell out of you right now.”

Alex’s breath hitched, and it was just about the sexiest sound Lucy had ever heard. “Lucy…” Alex whispered, her brown eyes conflicted, but when Lucy closed the distance between them Alex met her halfway.

Even though she’d imagined kissing Alex a thousand times, Lucy wasn’t prepared for reality. The light, warm tease of Alex’s mouth on hers left Lucy delightfully dizzy, and she pressed closer, needing more, laughing softly as the umbrella fell away and the rain pattered softly on their faces. Lucy tasted the faintest hints of coffee, of the storm, but when Alex took charge and her tongue gently teased into Lucy’s mouth, the only flavor that mattered was all Alex. Lucy couldn’t get enough.

They finally parted to catch their breath, rain dripping from the tips of their noses as they smiled at one another.

“Do that again,” Lucy urged, breathless, and Alex complied, willingly and thoroughly.

****

Kara stood on the enclosed porch, a wide, beaming smile on her face as she watched her sister and Lucy in the rain. She put a hand over her mouth, trying to suppress the squeal she was so tempted to make, bubbling over with happiness for both of them. They were beautiful together.

“Do I want to know why you’re hopping up and down in here like a child on Christmas morning?”

Jumping slightly, Kara turned as Cat stepped down onto the porch. She was wearing jeans and a loose black and white sweater, her blonde curls still mussed from sleep and their earlier love making. Kara’s fingers instantly twitched with the desire to touch, and her whole body flushed with warmth. It was almost embarrassing the way she was starting to physically react to Cat any time the other woman was near.

“Um… Look.” Kara jerked her chin toward the dock, and Cat followed her line of sight, sighing softly.

“I’ve never believed a person could turn someone gay, but I’m starting to wonder about James Olsen.”

A laugh stumbled past Kara’s lips at the thought. She wondered what James would think if he could see his two ex-girlfriends now. His head would probably explode. Kara stepped closer, drawn to Cat as always. “You get some sleep?”

Cat nodded, taking a sip from the mug of coffee in her hands, but her gaze wouldn’t meet Kara’s.

“Cat?” Kara urged, sensing there was something wrong.

“Looks like you aren’t the only one with nightmares,” Cat admitted, setting her coffee on an end table.

Stricken, Kara went still. She should have known, should have anticipated… “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. The last 24 hours have just been a lot to take in. I knew what I was signing up for when I insisted on coming along.”

“I didn’t even know what I was signing up for,” Kara muttered. She captured Cat’s hand, the older woman’s palm and fingers warm from holding the coffee cup. “Last night was pretty… intense.”

Cat snorted. “That’s certainly one word for it.”

“Are you… are you mad at me?” Kara swallowed, trying to place the strange mood Cat was exuding.

Cat closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, but she didn’t turn Kara’s hand loose. “You know how you felt when you saw the D.E.O.? When you knew Alex was inside?”

Nodding, Kara tried to ignore the sick churn in her guts the memories could still elicit.

“That’s what I felt when I saw Alex pick you up from the rubble. You were so still. And Alex was crying. I thought…” Cat’s voice unexpectedly broke, taking a piece of Kara’s heart with it.

Kara could well imagine what had gone through Cat’s mind, what Alex must have been feeling. Guilt settled cold and tight in her chest. She pulled Cat into her arms, giving herself permission to tangle her fingers in Cat’s soft hair, to nuzzle her throat just below her ear, to breathe in Cat’s heady scent. “I’m sorry.”

“We’d finally…” Cat shuddered slightly, and Kara pulled her even closer. “And then I thought I’d lost you.”

“You didn’t lose me.” Kara eased back, cupping Cat’s cheek. 

Hazel eyes locked onto Kara’s own, a flare of temper igniting in their depths. “You thought you were going to die,” Cat accused. 

There was no point in denying it. “I’ve fought one of those androids before. I lost my powers then, too.”

“The earthquake,” Cat murmured, recalling the last time Kara had been vulnerable.

Kara nodded again. “The first one gave me a run for my money. I thought… with two of them…” She swallowed, remembering the peace that had settled over her, the acceptance of her death if it meant Cat, Alex, and the others would live. “I didn’t want to die, especially after we…” Kara drew in a ragged breath and dropped her gaze to the floor between them. “But I was prepared to. I gladly would have to save you.”

Cat said nothing, absorbing Kara’s words.

“I meant it,” Kara said softly, beginning to suspect some of the motivation behind this confrontation. “What I said over the comms… I meant it.”

“Kara…” Cat stared at her now, their history and potential future floating between them.

“There are… so many things that were left unsaid when I left Krypton. So many things I wanted my mother and father to know… my friends. I carry those words inside me just like I carry their memories. No matter how much I wish it weren’t so, those memories will fade, but those words won’t. They’ll sit inside me, Cat, still crying to get out, to be heard, until my dying day. I didn’t… I couldn’t…” Kara took a breath, tears beginning to collect in her eyes. “I wouldn’t leave this life without you knowing that I love you.”

“Kara,” Cat tried again, her voice softer now.  

“This… this is more than a crush for me, Cat. It’s been more than a crush for a long time.” Kara swallowed nervously, as Cat stared at her, dumbfounded. “And I don’t expect you to feel the same way, but I...” Kara was cut off as Cat’s mouth crashed against hers, kissing her with a desperation that made Kara’s head spin. 

They stumbled back a step, Kara catching the edge of the table, but she still clutched at the other woman, dragging Cat with her until they hit a window, the frame digging into the back of Kara’s thighs. 

The glass was cold against her back, but Cat was all heat at Kara’s front. Kara took the time to simply kiss her the way she’d wanted to for so long, and Cat enthusiastically responded until they both had to come up for air.

“Damn you,” Cat whispered, her forehead pressed into the curve of Kara’s shoulder. “I worked very long and very hard to build a wall to keep people out, to keep them from hurting me.”

Kara swallowed, saying nothing.

“Then you walked into my office. My 10:15. And you’ve been tearing down that wall ever since.”

Kara’s heart took flight at the admission. “Cat…”

“I didn’t want this. What I feel for you. There’s so many reasons that we’re a horrible idea. But I…”

Breathing fast and uneven, Kara waited.

“But this is more than an infatuation… more than some damn mid-life crisis. You got past every defense, and now I have none.”

“Cat…”

“I love you, too,” Cat confessed in a harsh whisper.

Closing her eyes, Kara felt like she was flying with both feet still firmly on the ground. “I can leap tall buildings in a single bound,” she said, giddy. “Did you think your wall was going to stop me?”

Cat laughed softly, at the joke or herself, Kara wasn’t sure. Then she didn’t care as Cat took her by the hand, leading her back to their bedroom.

****

Lois shucked her blazer as she stepped back into her hotel room, throwing it unceremoniously on the bed. Flurries danced outside her window, winter putting in an unwelcome early appearance in D.C. It was only a little past 1:00, but she’d already made some additional inroads into the investigation into her father. She would need to talk to Cat before the day was done to compare notes.

With a sigh, she slipped a small device out of her purse. She’d received it the night before from Agent Vasquez via special delivery. Lois didn’t know the woman, but the way Vasquez had been keeping her apprised through this whole mess… well, Lois knew she owed the agent a beer or five.

No bigger than a small computer mouse, Lois turned the device on and began a sweep of her room. She made it as far as the nightstand before she found the first bug. By the time she was done, she had five more.

Pouring a glass of water in the bathroom sink, Lois brought one of the listening devices to her lips. “Nice try, Dad,” she murmured before dropping them all into the liquid, watching them spark and die.

Her cell phone rang, and Lois’ heart jerked, assuming her father was calling to berate her for destroying government property. “What?” she answered, in no mood for his games.

“Hello to you, too.”

“Lucy?” Lois sank onto the edge of the bed, relief making her legs weak. “Thank God.” Her sister was quiet a moment, years of estrangement making this harder than Lois knew it should be. Conversing via email was easier, safer, but the sound of her sister’s voice was still music to Lois’ ears. “Are you okay?”

“I’m… coping,” Lucy admitted. “You were right about dad. About all of it. Of course you usually are.”

“It’s annoying, I know,” Lois teased cautiously, breathing a little easier when Lucy snorted in amusement. “My cross to bear.”

“No wonder you and Cat fight. You’re too much alike.”

“We barely talk for years and you hurl an insult like that at me right out of the gate?” Lois sniffed, but she was smiling. There were worse things in the world than being told you were similar to someone as talented and ambitious as Cat Grant.

“Considering that Cat is here, in the middle of this mess, risking her life for mine… Not sure I’d call that an insult,” Lucy said seriously.

“I know. Much as it pains me, I’m going to owe her one when this is over.” Lois was quiet. “I’m sorry, Luce,” she said finally. “You’ll never know how sorry.”

“For?”

“For what he did to you. For the D.E.O. For not being a better sister…” Lois swallowed. “I just…”

“None of this is on you, Lois. Dad made his own choices.”

“I can’t help but think…”

“Don’t.” Lucy sighed. “I’ve got enough guilt for the both of us.”

Standing, Lois crossed to the window, watching the snow as it danced and swayed beyond the glass. “Did he…?” Lois took a deep breath. “Did he try to…”

“Brainwash me?” Lucy guessed.

“Yeah.”

Lucy sighed again, more forcefully this time. “I think that was the goal. They were starting to mess with my head. They almost had me believing Kara and Alex were dead.”

“Jesus.”

“But if it makes you feel any better, I broke that bitch doctor’s nose when I had the chance.”

Lois grunted, perversely proud. “That’s my baby sister.” Lucy had been beating up people twice her size since she was in kindergarten.

“You’re really going to expose him?” Lucy asked slowly. “Tell the world what he’s done?”

“Someone has to.”

“I know that, but it doesn’t have to be you, Lois. I don’t want him coming after you. And your public image is going to take a hit from this.”

“I’m okay with that. Maybe it will help my street cred,” Lois joked faintly.

“Lois…”

“It’s okay, Luce. Really. I’ve got a pretty good bodyguard on standby. This has to be done, and after looking the other way for so long, I think I should be the one to do it. Besides, I want to make him pay for what he’s done to you.”

They were quiet for a long moment, and then Lois heard Lucy swallow thickly. “I miss you.”

Glancing toward the ceiling, trying to keep her tears from falling, Lois knew Lucy meant that on more than the obvious level. “Me too,” she breathed.

“I watch Kara and Alex,” Lucy murmured. “What they have with each other. It’s amazing and beautiful, but it hurts, too. It hurts to know we don’t have that.”

Lois closed her eyes, losing the battle, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. 

“We’re going to need each other in the months ahead. I don’t want us fighting… competing…”

“I don’t want that, either.” Lois cleared her throat. “I feel like, maybe for the first time in a long while, you and I are on the same team again. I’d like to… I’d like to get to know who my baby sister is now that she’s all grown up.”

“Your baby sister would like that, too.”

Lois smiled tremulously. “I do love you. I’ve always loved you,” she choked out.

“I love you too,” Lucy answered, her voice equally strained.

“So…” Lois wiped at her tears, trying to regain her composure. “Are you alone right now?”

“Why?” Lucy asked suspiciously, sniffling slightly.

“Because I think my sister has a crush on a very smart, very loyal, very sexy Alex Danvers, and I want to hear all about it.”

“Maybe we should take this whole sister thing a little slower,” Lucy drawled.

Lois laughed for the first time in weeks.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I post a short chapter on election day. Help pass the time until the results start rolling in...

The sky had deepened to a dark shade of slate outside their windows, thick clouds still visible through the persistent rain. Cat set the heavy folder down on the coffee table with a thud, and Lucy visibly tensed at the sight of it. Nearly two inches thick, Lucy wasn’t sure she wanted to know what horrible secrets that folder contained about her father. The older woman settled in the chair across from her, watching her like a hawk. 

“We don’t have to do this now,” Cat said, her tone low and surprisingly soothing, “but everything in this file is going to come out tomorrow morning. I think you should be prepared.”

Lucy nodded but she made no move to open it. “Ever since Superman showed up my father has been afraid. There’s more like him in the military than you might think.”

“It’s easy to fear what we don’t understand. To assign it suspicion.”

“And they don’t like someone being more powerful than them.” Taking a deep breath, Lucy lifted her head and met Cat’s gaze. “You didn’t collect this whole file in the last few days.”

“No. I didn’t.” 

Cat was the only one not treating Lucy with kid gloves about her father, and Lucy appreciated that even if it made things uncomfortable and awkward. She was a lawyer. She dealt in facts. Guilt or innocence. It was different, though, being the victim for once, knowing the perpetrator had once tucked you in at night and taught you how to drive. “You knew things about him when you hired me?”

“I don’t believe in judging people based solely on the actions of their relatives. Your accomplishments were impressive on their own. I liked you. Found you smart and highly capable. I’d have been a fool not to try to scoop you up for CatCo. The fact that hiring you would needle Lois was just a bonus.”

The praise warmed her somewhat, making inroads against the cold that had settled in Lucy’s chest once she and Alex had reluctantly stepped back inside several hours ago. They’d both had things to deal with, and they’d set their personal desires aside to do what needed to be done, but Lucy would have welcomed Alex’s steady presence at her side in that moment. “Do you regret it now?”

Cat made a little sound of disgust. “I regret letting you leave, although you’ve clearly gone on to bigger and better things.”

Lucy smiled weakly. “Thanks, Cat.” Swallowing, Lucy tugged the file closer, flipping it open. “Reading this will change everything, won’t it?”

“You mean his abduction and attempt to brainwash you didn’t?” Cat asked tartly.

“It’s stupid,” Lucy murmured as she scanned the first document. “I keep trying to make excuses for what he did.”

Clasping her hands in her lap, Cat paused to consider her response. “I’m sure in his own twisted way, he was trying to do what he thought was best for you. That doesn’t excuse his actions.”

“No. It doesn’t.” Lucy frowned at the document in her hands. Dr. Gibbons was referenced several times. “I think I know what I’m going to find in here. Loosely anyway, I just…”

Cat waited her out for a quiet minute. It wasn’t until Lucy sighed and hung her head that she spoke. “You’re afraid what you learn about him might say about you.”

Lucy swallowed hard, Cat’s insight on the money as usual. “Yeah.”

“Not a damn thing,” Cat promised with a touch of heat. “We make our own choices, Lucy. You need look no further than how differently you and your father treat Kara.”

“How can he have done these things and I still love him?” Lucy met Cat’s gaze, pleading, hoping this woman who seemed to have an answer to everything could explain that.

“Love isn’t something you switch on and off at will. If it were, I’d never feel a damn thing for my mother ever again.”

Lucy’s lips quirked. She’d met Katherine Grant. That was a hard woman to love.

“And I would never have allowed myself to develop feelings for my former assistant,” Cat added quietly. 

“Guess it’s a good thing there’s no switch then.” Lucy smiled gently.

“We both come from demanding and difficult parents, Lucy, and while they shaped us, perhaps even in ways we would have preferred they didn’t, ultimately we’re in charge of who we are, how we treat others. You are not your father. You will never be your father.”

Lucy nodded, absorbing Cat’s words.

“If you ever doubt that, remember that the Danvers sisters risked their lives to save you last night. You matter to those two amazing women. You matter to Agent Vasquez. You matter to me.”

“Then I matter to four amazing women.” Lucy grinned and Cat smiled in return. “Thank you. For everything,” she said, meaning it. “If it’s all right, I’d like to spend a little time alone with this.” She placed her hand on the file again. “I’ll come find you if I have any questions.”

“Of course.” Cat stood. “I’m not going to apologize for accumulating what’s in that file,” she murmured. “Especially when it could save Kara’s and Alex’s lives, but I am sorry it’s going to hurt you. I’m even sorry it will hurt Lois.”  

“I know,” Lucy said, not blaming Cat for any of this.

Cat nodded once and left Lucy alone with the truth she’d been blind to for too many years.

With a long sigh, Lucy began to read.

****

Lois slowly closed her laptop, staring out into the darkness. It had taken her hours to go through everything. Cat, as expected, had been thorough.

And Lois... Lois felt like a fool.  

All these years. All these secrets. Cat could have wielded them at any time, but she never had, holding them close to the vest for the moment when she could use them, not as a weapon, but as a shield. They both knew the power of words, were both masters at using them, but what Cat had done to protect Clark and eventually Kara… Lois didn’t know if she should feel awed or angry.

She _should_ be angry that Cat had kept all this from her, but she suspected Cat had hoped to never use any of it, to never need to cause Lois or Lucy the pain she was feeling now. Cat had protected her just as she’d protected Kara and Clark, and Lois’ impression of the other woman shifted irrevocably.

“You always did see the bigger picture, Kitty,” Lois breathed.

Out of all the threats Clark faced, Lois had never imagined there was one this huge so close to home. It left her feeling sick and tainted, that her love for him could have gotten him killed. 

Her father had done unspeakable things. Lois had known of some of them, but she’d only been scratching the surface. Hand shaking, she reached for her phone, dialed a number as she stared at the swirling snow dancing in the darkness outside her hotel window.

It rang once. Twice. Three times.

“Hey.”

“Did you read what I sent you?” Lois asked, her voice breaking slightly.

There was a pause. “I did.” Clark’s voice was quiet, somber.

“I’m sorry…” Tears spilled down Lois’ cheeks for the second time that day.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Do you want me to come over?”

Lois shook her head. “No. I leave within the hour for New York. I’m already booked on the Sunday morning news programs.”

“You should let me do this.”

“No. I can’t, but… but I love you for offering.”

Clark took a deep breath. “I love you, too. Nothing in that file changes that. Nothing on this Earth ever will.”

Lois closed her eyes. “It’s my turn to keep you safe,” she joked weakly.

“Then I’m in good hands.”

****

Alex shut the door, sighing at the sight that greeted her. Lucy had fallen asleep in the chair in her bedroom, documents on her father scattered on the floor around her. Aching for her, Alex could tell Lucy had been crying, and she almost backed out of the room and left, but her feet stayed rooted to the spot. Hours ago they’d been kissing in the rain, and while Alex would never presume that had earned her any kind of special rights where Lucy was concerned, it did remind her rather acutely that seeing Lucy in pain was unbearable and unacceptable.

With a sigh, Alex set the plate of dinner and can of diet soda on the bed. Lucy needed to eat, even if it was pizza. If she had to act as Lucy’s doctor rather than her… whatever they were… then so be it.

Alex sank down on her knees, moving aside some of the files before carefully sliding her hands over Lucy’s knees, squeezing gently until Lucy’s eyelashes fluttered and those startling pale green eyes blinked open and fixed on Alex’s own. God she loved Lucy’s eyes. “Hey.”

Lucy drew in a deep breath. “Hey,” she greeted softly, her voice painfully hoarse to Alex’s ears.

“Brought you some pizza.”

“Thanks. Not really hungry right now.”

“You’d make me feel better if you ate, kept your strength up. I even got you your favorite.”

Lucy hunkered further down into the seat, but her gaze didn’t leave Alex’s features. “You got me Hawaiian?”

“So very wrong putting pineapple on a pizza,” Alex teased, trying to keep the moment normal.

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, Danvers.”

Smiling, Alex stood, fetching the food and soda and handing both to Lucy who took them begrudgingly. Lucy cracked the soda open first, taking a few sips before setting it on an end table and scooping up a thin slice of pizza. She pointedly popped a piece of pineapple in her mouth, and Alex pretended to shudder theatrically, earning her the tiniest sliver of a smile.

Lucy nibbled unenthusiastically on her pizza, but Alex didn’t complain, happy to see her eating anything at all. “You’ve seen what’s in these files?” Lucy asked between bites.

Alex nodded. Cat had reviewed everything with her, Vasquez, and Kara over the last few hours. It was a lot to stomach when you hated the guy. Alex couldn’t imagine how it felt to read it when you loved him.

“I never thought my father was perfect, but my God, Alex…”

Pursing her lips, Alex searched for something to say that would make this better, but she knew if it had been Jeremiah Danvers featured in those files, she’d be shredded. 

“Extortion. Weapons smuggling. Kidnapping…” Lucy left off the most serious charges of treason and murder. “He’s been running his own anti-alien crusade.”

“I know.”

Lucy stared at the hundreds of documents. “Is this what I would have become? If I hadn’t met you? Met Kara?” She looked up again, tears in her eyes. “Would I have let his fears and paranoia eat away at me until I became the same monster he is?”

“You’re not capable of it. If you were, you would have exposed Kara. You wouldn’t have rescued me and Hank from Cadmus.”

“I’m almost _sent_ you to Cadmus, Alex. I thought I knew what they were about but after reading these files…” Lucy set aside her plate, looking ill. “They would have tortured you. _Murdered_ you...”

“You didn’t know.”

“Didn’t I? I mean, there were rumors, but I… I didn’t have any reservations about sending Hank, only you.”

“You were convinced Hank was an enemy, and, granted, from the outside looking in it’s easy to see why. Hell, Lucy, I was suspicious of Hank for a time. I didn’t trust him.”

“But you weren’t going to send him off…”

“If I had found out he’d killed my father I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Alex swallowed, drawing in a deep breath. “You thought I’d colluded with someone who had infiltrated the D.E.O. That I was putting the nation’s security at risk. I get it, Lucy.”

“But that’s what my dad thinks!” Lucy growled. “How does that make me any different?”

“The difference is, when you had all the facts, you risked your life to rescue me and Hank. You did the right thing.”

“You’re making excuses for me.”

“I’m not!” Alex snapped. “Your father has seen Kara save the world time and time again. He’s seen how far she’s willing to go, how she’s willing to risk her own life to save complete strangers, and he thinks she’s the enemy because she has more power than his guns and bombs. That was never you. You were skeptical of aliens, but you never wanted them dead simply for being here.”

Lucy swallowed, and Alex waited, hoping on some level she’d gotten through.

“He would never listen,” Lucy said brokenly. “I kept trying and trying to make him understand about Hank… about Kara. He didn’t want to hear it.”

“Because there is no world where General Sam Lane believes aliens could be allies as much as enemies. As long as he doesn’t have all the power, those that do are a threat.” Alex sank to her knees in front of Lucy again, drawing the other woman’s eyes on her as she slid her hands possessively over Lucy’s thighs. “You are nothing like your father,” Alex swore. “You never could be. You’re too compassionate. You care too damn much even though you want everyone to think you don’t. And the truth always comes first with you. Sometimes it might get buried a little, but in the end, you always dig it out and embrace it. I know you, Lucy Lane, and if you give me the chance, I’d like to know you even better. I promise you, without question, that the man you see in these files could never turn you from your own truth.”

Alex swallowed, startled by her own intense defense of the other woman. Lucy stared at her for a string of heart beats before leaning forward and kissing Alex soundly.

Fingers ghosted over denim before Alex gripped Lucy’s hips and gently slid her closer. Lucy’s legs parted and wrapped around her, pulling her in, and Alex kissed her back greedily. 

“You almost make me believe that,” Lucy breathed when they finally parted.

“Do you believe in me?” 

Those hypnotic green eyes searched Alex’s features. “Completely.”

“Then believe it.”

Lucy stared at her. “I’m starting to come apart, Alex,” she whispered, afraid.

“I know. It’s okay. You’re allowed to. I’ll be here to put you back together.” Alex urged her closer, wrapping her arms around Lucy and holding on tight.


	16. Chapter 16

Vasquez was asleep on the couch when Alex padded down the hall and into the kitchen for a glass of water. Bunking down with Lucy initially, Alex had waited until the major had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. But sleep hadn’t come easy for Alex, her mind spinning with what came next. She’d slipped from the room, leaving Lucy to her much-needed rest.

A sound from the porch made Alex freeze. Frowning, she listened until she heard a faint sigh and her tensed muscles reluctantly uncoiled. She leaned in the doorway, curious to find Cat sitting alone in the dark in one of the rocking chairs, a tumbler of something alcoholic in her hand.

“Can’t sleep?”

Cat started before glancing up at her. “Would seem I’m not the only one.”

Alex stepped inside and closed the door. Cat watched her warily as Alex sat down in the rocking chair next to her, only a small end table between them. 

“How’s Lucy?” Cat asked. 

“About like you’d expect. The stuff on her dad really tore her up.”

The CEO set her bourbon down on the table before sliding it wordlessly toward Alex. “Just poured it, and you look like you could use it. I’ll get another.”

Glancing at Cat in surprise, Alex watched as Cat returned to the bar tucked into the corner of the porch. Leave it to Cat to not only insure they had a safe house and medical team, but that they’d have plenty of booze if needed. Wrapping her fingers around the tumbler, Alex brought the amber liquid to her lips, taking a cautious sip. Her eyebrows lifted in pleasant surprise. “So that’s what the good stuff tastes like.”

“Being the Queen of All Media has its perks.” Smirking, Cat returned, settling next to Alex again as they looked out at the lake together, drinking in companionable silence for a moment.

It was a little weird, sitting there in the dark, sipping expensive bourbon with Cat Grant. She was a celebrity of sorts, certainly a woman who wielded more power and prestige than Alex could ever imagine. Talking on the phone with the President had seemed like less of a big deal than colluding with the Queen of All Media. To know Kara was sleeping with the woman made the moment even more surreal. “So what’s going to happen when that file is disseminated to the press tomorrow morning?”

“Bedlam,” Cat said simply. “Everything I found on Lane was in my spare time. Imagine what’s going to get dug up once more reporters start sniffing around. It will be a chain reaction. The initial bomb of information will go off early. Once it’s vetted and deemed accurate, as it will be, of course, it will be a race to break the story. Lois obviously has a head start, and I sent the file to my best reporter at the Tribune already as well. I’m sure they’re both making significant headway even now. Honestly, I’ll be surprised if the general isn’t in handcuffs before lunch.”

“Or he’ll go underground. Snakes like him have all kinds of rocks to slither under.”

Cat dipped her head in reluctant agreement. “Lane’s conspirators will be next, getting swept up in the dragnet. Unfortunately, there will also be collateral damage.”

“Lucy and Lois.” Alex tried to imagine how bad it would be for them and couldn’t.

“Lois will land on her feet,” Cat murmured. “As good as my reporter is at the Tribune, I’m sure Lois will break the story first. Her role in revealing her father’s crimes will bring her under a lot of scrutiny for a while, but ultimately she’ll be seen as the hero, so committed to the truth she exposed her own father. Her image will be enhanced in the long run.” Cat pursed her lips in distaste at the thought. 

“And Lucy?” Alex asked hesitantly.

Cat sighed, and Alex’s stomach began to ache.

“Lucy is the unknown. She followed in her father’s footsteps. She was daddy’s girl for a long time.”

“He kidnapped her and tried to brainwash her,” Alex nearly growled.

“Which is partially why I had you wear the body cameras.” Cat looked at her pointedly, and Alex blinked in surprise. She’d argued with Cat about it, but Kara had been right. Arguing with Cat Grant was a lost cause.

“So we would have proof.”

Cat nodded. “Of course, the footage will leak at just the right time. No one will know where it came from, and it will be edited to conceal yours and Kara’s identities, but it will hopefully ease some of the blowback on Lucy.” She took a sip of her bourbon, thinking. “But her accomplishments are going to be called into question, her loyalties. You should both be prepared for that.”

Alex closed her eyes. Lucy was too smart not to see this coming, but she hadn’t said a word, knowing it needed to be done. “Goddamn it. She’s been through enough.”

“And yet if we didn’t take this step, the general undoubtedly would have put her through even more.” Cat was quiet a moment. “Lucy always has a job with me if she wants it, and I can promise you if the government turns their back on her, I’ll make them regret it.”

They lapsed into silence, each of them lost to their own thoughts, but Alex’s respect for the woman next to her grew.

“And what about you?” Alex finally asked. “What happens to you in all this?”

Shrugging, Cat took another sip of her drink. “If all goes according to plan? Not a damn thing.”

“You’re breaking a huge story, Cat. You did all the work. You mean you’re going to just sit back and let Lois and other people take the credit?”

“That’s the plan, isn’t it?” Cat glanced at her then, bemused. “I’m getting what I want out of the story, and it’s not recognition or accolades.”

“Kara being safe.”

Cat nodded once. “I’m writing an article of my own,” she admitted. “Words are the only weapon I really have and believe me, I’ll wield them like knives. I have a few details I’ve held back.”

Curious and a little alarmed, Alex eyed her but said nothing.

“Not only will it crucify Lane, Gibbons, and others of their ilk, but it will call out the President to give Kara and others like her more rights, because honestly right now they have next to none.”  

Cat looked so pretty and dainty that Alex forgot she had a spine and will of steel. She was starting to understand why Kara was drawn to her. It was more than Cat’s power and perspective that enticed her sister, although Alex suspected both proved potent allures, but like Kara, Cat was so much more than she seemed. Lurking under that prickly exterior was a strong heart that cared deeply for others, and Alex was grateful she was finally getting to see a glimpse of the woman Kara had fallen for so hard.

Tracing the lip of the tumbler with her thumb as the rain drummed overhead, Alex mulled over what to say. “Is that what’s really keeping you up? Because you’ve lobbed probably hundreds of these story grenades in the past, Cat.”

“Thousands,” Cat corrected. “But none of them have ever mattered this personally.” She stared into the contents of her glass. “This has to work.”

“To save Kara?”

Cat nodded. 

Alex drew in a deep breath, feeling a strange kinship forming between them. “Speaking of Kara…” she said slowly. Cat’s jaw clenched, Alex could see it tighten in the faint light coming from the nearby dock.  

“She told me that you two… talked,” Cat murmured.

“We did.”

Cat eyed her warily. “I doubt you approve.”

“I have reservations. That’s my job,” Alex added with a hint of a smile. “But, after my initial reluctance to have you involved in this mess, I have to admit you’ve been good for her.”

Cat blinked, looking more vulnerable than Alex had ever seen her.

“She’s crazy about you. You know that right?”

Drawing in a slow, uneven breath, Cat took another sip of her bourbon as Alex did the same, savoring the strong flavor on her tongue. “I keep telling myself that I shouldn’t…” Cat swallowed, and Alex waited her out. “I’m too old for her. Too set in my ways. She has her whole life ahead of her…”

“She wants you, Cat.” Alex knew she needed to tread carefully, if she said the wrong thing and sent Cat running, Kara would never forgive her. “And Kara… she’s never been really serious about anyone before. Even James. They were… cute,” she said for lack of a better word, her lip curling a little at the thought. “But you…” Alex sighed. “It’s…” She glanced at Cat, finding the woman’s gaze boring into her. “It’s the real thing for her, and I suspect for you too.” 

“I want to be good for her. Better than I am...”

“You are,” Alex said with certainty. “Although I have to wonder what you’re doing out here instead of cuddling with my sister, because she likes to do that, you know. Cuddle.” 

Cat’s lips twitched. “I noticed.” 

Alex couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “You don’t strike me as a cuddler, Cat.”

“Well, Kara and I spied you and Baby Lane doing a little cuddling of your own earlier.”

Alex’s smile vanished as Cat neatly flipped the tables, leaving Alex blushing profusely and downing the rest of her bourbon in one go, nearly choking on it.

“Poor Vasquez,” Cat drawled, ignoring Alex as she struggled to breathe. “Do you think she feels like the odd lesbian out?” 

Slapping a hand over her mouth, Alex snickered behind her palm, the alcohol going straight to her head on an empty stomach.

Cat grinned, triumphant, but then she chuckled a little at the thought herself. 

They were quiet again, the rain pattering above. “So…” Alex began slowly. “Want to hear embarrassing stories from Kara’s childhood?”

Cat looked at her, gratitude and mischief sparkling in her eyes in equal measure. “I’m a reporter at heart, Alex. Nothing I love more than a good story.” 

“Then let me tell you about the time Kara melted our vacuum cleaner…”

****

“Your feet are cold.”

Cat grinned as Kara curled around her, burying her features in Cat’s hair, her breath teasing along the side of Cat’s neck. “I’ve been on the porch.” She and Alex had spent way too many hours in each other’s company, trading stories about the woman who was so warm and firm at her back. Her bottle of Blanton’s had suffered greatly for it, but it had been worth it.

Kara was quiet, and Cat wondered if she’d fallen back asleep.

“Why?” the younger woman finally asked.

“Just thinking about tomorrow. Didn’t want to keep you awake.”

“You worried?”

Hesitating, Cat shrugged. “There’s always unknowns, but I think it will work. The question is whether or not General Lane will be brought into custody before he can cause any more harm.”

“It’s the right thing to do regardless.” 

“It is.” Cat tangled their fingers, enjoying the way their hands fit together so seamlessly. After two years of angst and tiptoeing around one another, they were now stumbling rapidly into something serious. Logic told Cat she should slow things down, but they’d wasted so much time already. “If nothing else, it will cut Lane off from his main source of power.”

“Poor Lucy,” Kara said, her tone still heavy with sleep.

“Baby Lane is tough. She’ll get through this.”

“And we’ll be there to help.”

Cat smiled, marveling that she’d fallen so helplessly for someone who was so damn optimistic. “We will.”

“I love you,” Kara murmured unexpectedly.

Closing her eyes, Cat couldn’t deny the thrill that swept through her at the words. Hearing them made everything they were doing, all the risks, worth it. “I love you too.”

Kara snuggled closer, much to Cat’s delight. Despite what Alex thought, Cat rather liked being cuddled by Kara Danvers. Her hands moved lightly over Cat’s body, more soothing than arousing, and Cat never wanted to fall asleep without Kara beside her ever again.

“So you melted your foster mother’s vacuum cleaner, hmm?” Cat asked, unable to stop an impish smile from forming on her features.

There was a long pause from the woman behind her.

“I’m going to kill my sister.”

**** 

It was nearly four in the morning when Alex finally slunk down the hall to get some sleep. She hesitated at the door to her own room, the prospect of crawling into a cold, lonely bed unappealing after a few nights sleeping next to Lucy. Sucking it up, she opened her door only to twitch in surprise when Lucy’s opened behind her.

“Danvers,” Lucy grumbled, using one crutch and leaning against the doorway. “You look like I just caught you sneaking back into your parents’ house after slipping out to meet your boyfriend.”

“What are you doing up?” Alex moved closer, keeping her voice down. Cat had turned in a few minutes before, and Alex wondered if she’d gone to her own room or if she’d slipped back into bed with Kara. The latter thought was thankfully growing easier to consider.

“Waiting for you.” Lucy snagged a handful of Alex’s t-shirt and dragged her inside, pushing Alex up against the door to close it.

“Bossy little-” Alex started only to lapse into willing silence as Lucy slid against her, kissing her with a hunger that nearly buckled Alex’s knees. After the chill of the porch, Lucy was enticingly warm and soft, and Alex pulled her closer, losing herself for a moment in the feel of her.  

Lucy licked her bottom lip as they parted. “Someone’s been drinking. Blanton’s if I’m not mistaken.” Her voice had dropped an octave. Already roughened with sleep, it did funny things to Alex’s stomach.

“Um… I was…” Alex really didn’t want to talk, her brain more than a little fuzzy from the alcohol and the hormones suddenly singing through her blood. She leaned in for another kiss, a pleasant shock skittering along her nerve endings when one of Lucy’s hands eased under her shirt to tease Alex’s abs with blunt fingernails. Moaning softly in Lucy’s mouth, Alex shivered when Lucy’s hand drifted higher, her thumb stroking the curve of one of Alex’s breasts.

Alex’s head thumped against the door when Lucy turned her mouth loose only to skim kisses along her jaw, down her throat, nosing past her collar to suck on the juncture between her shoulder and neck. “Lucy…” Alex pleaded breathlessly. “We should…”

“We should,” Lucy agreed. “But I don’t want to.”  

Alex wasn’t even sure how they managed to stumble from the door into the bed, and when Lucy crawled on top of her, Alex really, really didn’t care. At some point they would need to talk about what they were doing, what it meant, but not now, not with Lucy’s warm weight pressing her down into the mattress, not when Alex could taste the desperation on Lucy’s tongue.

But then Lucy hissed in pain.

Alex shrank back immediately, like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her.

“I’m fine,” Lucy promised, tugging at the hem of Alex’s shirt, but Alex had been snapped out of her haze. She put her hands over Lucy’s, stilling them. “Damn it, Danvers, now is not the time to be noble.”

“Seems like it is,” Alex murmured, looking up into those beautiful green eyes. “What hurts?”

“Alex…” Lucy pleaded, and Alex realized this moment was less about them, about what they were on the verge of becoming, and more about Lucy needing a reprieve from her pain, both physical and emotional. 

Pursing her lips, Alex gently rolled them over. “Is it your leg?”

Lucy stared at the ceiling, tension coiling in her muscles. 

“Hey,” Alex whispered, running her forefinger along Lucy’s jaw, drawing green eyes back on her. “You’ve been hurt enough. I won’t be someone who hurts you more.”

Lucy looked away, and Alex sucked in a shallow breath and held it. She’d known more of these cracks in Lucy’s armor would come, but seeing them still hurt like hell. 

“Sorry.” Lucy awkwardly rolled out from under her, and Alex closed her eyes briefly as the other woman moved away. 

“Lucy…”

“You’re right. My leg hurts. You should go. Get some rest.”

Torn, Alex hovered there for a long moment, her gaze searching Lucy’s profile. Finally she sighed, rolling off the other side of the bed. “Maybe this is just a physical thing for you, but I think I’m… I’m in a lot deeper than that,” Alex confessed, her chest tight and aching. “And I don’t want to mess up whatever chance I have with you, if I didn’t just do it already.”

Lucy said nothing, but Alex heard her swallow.

“I don’t know if you remember,” Alex continued quietly. “But if you do… that date we talked about in the rubble... I want that. I want that with you. It’s the thought of that date that kept me going when you were missing.”

Alex dropped her gaze to the floor, grimacing when Lucy remained silent. With a sigh, she went to the door, opened it, and left without looking back.

Lucy rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling once more, warm tears striking the pillow beneath her. “I want it too,” she whispered.

****


	17. Chapter 17

Sunlight began to filter through the trees, sparkling off the dew and destruction that covered the ground at his feet. Sam Lane breathed in the fresh Oregon air, scowling at the remains of his compound. He’d been tied up in National City, unable to get away as they’d dealt with rounding up one of the missing Fort Rozz prisoners. With no way to properly contain the alien, his men had simply put it down. 

He nudged the remains of one of his Red Tornadoes. The other had yet to be found, but this one had clearly gone a few rounds with Supergirl and lost.

“Sir.” Gibbons approached. One arm was in a sling, her right eye swollen and purpling, and she wore a splint on her nose. His daughter had reportedly taken some of her anger issues out on the good doctor and it showed. Lane would have been secretly proud if the whole thing hadn’t been so damn inconvenient. 

“Doctor,” Lane greeted. “Had to come and see the damage for myself. We’ll have to transfer to another facility.”

“Yes, Sir. We’ve already begun making arrangements.” Gibbons frowned at the remains of the android, uneasy. “They came in on foot. Surprised us.”    

“Yes. They thought they were being smart. Probably suspected we might have another weapon trained on the camp.”

“But Supergirl is dead?” Gibbons asked, her grey eyes cold and piercing.

“We have every reason to believe so, Doctor. Lois was certainly upset when I spoke with her.”

Gibbons nodded carefully. “Then some good came of this.”

“Indeed. Have you found any remains?”

“No. But given the power of the beam coupled with kryptonite, I wouldn’t expect to.”

“One thing about this whole mess that was tidy.” Lane’s phone beeped, and he unclipped it from his hip. “Yes?” he answered.

Lane listened, his features impassive, as he was informed someone had leaked his secrets to the media. “How bad is it?” he asked, assuming they might have an infraction here, a skirting of regulation there. When he heard the laundry list of his crimes, Lane went cold, his jaw clenching. 

He’d underestimated Alex Danvers. Severely. With her sister dead, she’d be like a rabid dog coming for him now.

The news that Lois was breaking a big part of the story was less of a surprise, but it still stung. “Thank you,” he told his collaborator on the other end of the line. “Clean things up there. Meet me at the beta site. I’ll handle things on this end.”

He hung up, coolly slipping his phone back on his belt.

“Everything all right, Sir?” Gibbons asked.

“I’m afraid not, Doctor.” Lane slid his firearm from his holster, turning smoothly and putting a bullet right between the doctor’s eyes. 

****

“Damn,” Vasquez muttered, impressed.

Cat sat next to the agent, sipping her second cup of coffee as she watched the east coast feed of Lois being interviewed on _Meet the Press_. “Lois was never one to waste time or turn down free publicity.”

Alex emerged from her room, looking as haggard as Cat felt after their night of drinking and lack of sleep. Kara’s sister shot a mournful look at Lucy’s door before padding down the hall in her gray sweatpants and black t-shirt. Cat could see why Lucy was falling hard for the agent. Even disheveled, Alex was quite attractive. 

“Is it working?” Alex mumbled.

Vasquez rotated one of the monitors around and Alex bent at the waist, resting her hands on her knees as she blearily watched snippets of news feeds from all over the country. Sam Lane’s face was everywhere, and Alex appeared grimly satisfied to see the man called out for the monster he was.

“Lucy seen this?” Alex asked, her tone rough with an emotion Cat couldn’t identify.

“Not yet. Not sure she needs to,” Cat admitted. “Might be best if someone keeps her occupied for a few more hours.”

Alex sighed. “Might have to be someone other than me.”

Cat exchanged a surreptitious look with Vasquez. “I just saw you three hours ago. What trouble did you manage to get into at four in the morning?”

Alex rubbed at her eyes. “Ask Susan. The Danvers sisters should come with a warning.”

Vasquez wisely remained silent, but she tipped her head slightly in the affirmative, earning her a bemused smile from Cat. Even though the agent has slammed her up against the side of a vehicle, or perhaps even because of it, Cat found herself rather impressed with the younger woman. Vasquez wasn’t afraid of much, and she had a dry sense of humor Cat rather appreciated. Cat was surrounded by brilliant and astonishing women, and it darkly amused her to know they were taking down a network of predominantly old white men who thought they were untouchable.

“Any word on whether he’s been arrested?” Alex wondered.

“Not yet,” Susan said. “But I’m watching for it.”

Alex nodded. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

“Fingers and toes.”

“Not a single ‘ma’am’ this morning,” Alex murmured to the other agent. “I’m so proud.”

Cat smiled at Susan’s answering glare as Alex wandered toward the kitchen in search of coffee.

****

“I hate you.”

Alex turned her head as her sister joined her in the kitchen. Kara’s hair was a mess, and she yawned into her fist as she grabbed a mug and made her way to the coffee pot. She looked adorable, and Alex felt a surge of affection for her sleepy, Kryptonian sibling. “Get on the bandwagon,” Alex drawled.

Kara pulled up short, staring at her funnily. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Lucy is pissed at me.”

“Why? What did you do?”

“Long story.”

Kara frowned and poured herself some coffee, dumping a ridiculous amount of sugar in it before sipping it gratefully. “Starting to get why humans worship this stuff.”

Alex regarded her fondly for a moment. “Make sure you get outside today.” She dipped her head at the windows where sunlight was beginning to filter through the parting clouds.

Nodding, Kara yawned again and Alex smirked.

“I know Cat didn’t keep you up all night. Why so tired?”

Her sister glared. “Are you guys always like this? Feeling like you could take a nap all the time?”

Alex chuckled. “Some days. But give yourself a break. You were pretty wiped before you lost your powers. You probably need a lot of rest and a lot of sun.”

“Ugh.”

“So why do you hate me?” Alex prompted.

“You told Cat about Eliza’s vacuum cleaner.”

Smirking, Alex took a sip of her coffee. “I told her about all kinds of things.”

“Alex,” Kara whined. “You better not have told her about the popcorn maker.”

“I have to get my fun where I can right now. Ow!” Alex grumbled with a smile as Kara socked her playfully in the shoulder, nearly sloshing the coffee out of Alex’s cup. 

“Hate you,” Kara muttered again, but she was grinning faintly. “So what happened with Lucy?” Kara leaned against the counter, her blue eyes focusing somewhat on Alex now as the caffeine began to flush through her system. With no tolerance for it, Alex suspected her sister’s body reacted to the stimulus far faster than her own.

Alex blushed slightly. “I…” She sighed. “I don’t think I handled something very well, and now she’s mad at me.”

“What did you do?”

“I…” Alex glanced down the hall to make sure no one was listening. “I... turned her down.”

Kara’s brow furrowed. “Turned her down for what? Oh…” Blue eyes widened. “You mean… oh.”

“Yeah. She… she’s in pain, still. I didn’t…” Alex scrubbed a hand over her features, her blush deepening. “God. When did we get to a point where we started talking about our sex lives with each other?”

“Hate to break it to you, Alex, but only one of us actually has a sex life right now.” It was Kara’s turn to smirk as she took another sip of her coffee.

“Ow,” Alex said again. “I think some of Cat’s sarcasm is starting to wear off on you. I’m not sure I approve.”

Kara shrugged one shoulder, unapologetic. “Lucy will come around,” she said more seriously. “She’s just…”

“Confused and hurting. I know.” Alex sighed again. “I don’t want to screw up with her, Kara. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells with her...”

Her sister set her coffee on the counter and moved closer, pulling Alex into a much-needed hug. “Then stop. Lucy doesn’t like to be coddled any more than you do.”

“I like to be coddled a little. Occasionally,” Alex sniffed, mostly joking. “Like now.”

Kara stepped back. “Just be straight with her, Alex. After all the deception with her father, I think Lucy just needs honesty from us, even when it hurts.”

“Yeah. Speaking of the general…” Alex raked a hand through her hair. “I need to hit the phone, see if I can find out what’s happening on that front.”

Nodding, Kara offered her a tight smile. “Need me to distract Lucy for a while?”

“Couldn’t hurt.”

****

Mind spinning, Lucy stared at the ceiling.

She had royally screwed up with Alex. Tired of hurting, emotionally and physically, she’d thrown herself at the other woman, jeopardizing whatever fragile, fledgling thing was happening between them. In walking, Alex had shown Lucy more respect and care than anyone Lucy had ever known. Now she didn’t know what to do to fix things. Saying sorry didn’t seem like enough.

With a groan, Lucy sat up and eased out of the bed, hobbling across the room toward Alex’s tactical vest where it still lay draped over a chair. She removed the healing device O’Bannon had given them from one of the upper pockets, surprised at how lightweight it was. She’d watched the doctor use it often enough, maybe she could do something to speed her recovery along so she could stop feeling so damn useless. 

A knock at the door made her stomach plunge, but it was only Kara who poked her head inside, smiling encouragingly.

“Morning.”

“Morning,” Lucy murmured, sighing a little in relief when Kara came the rest of the way into the room alone, sporting a cup of coffee for each of them. “God bless you,” she said when Kara handed her one. She took a grateful sip.

“I better get my powers back soon or I’m going to get addicted to this stuff.” Kara took a sip from her own mug, her brow furrowing when she noticed the device in Lucy’s hand. “What’s that?”

Lucy handed it to her. “Some kind of device they were using on me at the compound.”

“Oh wow.” Kara set her mug down on the dresser. She stared at the device for a moment, a flicker of anguish darting across her features before she schooled them again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Kara’s voice came out strained and she cleared her throat. “It’s just… this is Kryptonian.”

“Really?”

Kara nodded. “Pretty common on my planet. Every house had one. I just… I haven’t seen one since I was a kid.”

The reminder of all Kara had been through, of all she’d lost, suddenly put Lucy’s current circumstances to shame. She took a deep breath, drifting closer. “Sorry. I…”

Dredging up a smile, Kara shook her head. “It’s fine. Just caught me off guard. Still remember my dad treating my knee when I fell running up the stairs.” Kara’s smile was bittersweet, and it broke a little piece of Lucy’s heart.

“You know how it works?”

Kara smiled more genuinely this time. “Yeah. It’s like… these were as common in Kryptonian households as… Bandaids.”

Snorting faintly Lucy lifted her left arm, displaying several lurid bruises she’d gotten when Gibbons had been wailing on her. “Can it fix these?”

Turning the device on, Kara moved closer, sweeping it slowly back and forth just above Lucy’s skin. “Tickle?”

Lucy nodded, watching in fascination as her bruises began to fade and the soreness gradually eased. “It burned when they were using it on my ribs and my leg.”

“Different setting.” Kara frowned. “Although they might not have been using it quite right. Wonder where they found this.”

“Fort Rozz if I had to guess.”

“So many things Kal and I could offer,” Kara said softly, “if they weren’t so afraid.”

Lucy looked up at her. “I’m sorry about all this, Kara.”

“Don’t be. None of this is your fault.” Kara gently clasped Lucy’s other wrist, rotating it to reveal more bruises on her right arm. She focused on them quietly.

“Please tell me you Kryptonians were beyond our pathetic human failings.”

Kara’s lips quirked. “I wish I could. In many ways we were more evolved: science, technology, industry… but we had our share of ugliness, of suspicion and hatred for other races.”

“Hard to imagine you hating anyone.” Lucy resisted the urge to scratch her tingling skin as Kara worked.

Shrugging uncomfortably, Kara kept her head down. “In general, Kryptonians aren’t very fond of race known as the Daxamites,” she mumbled. “And I think I hated Non in the end.” Her gaze flickered up to meet Lucy’s before dropping again. “Definitely hated Siobhan,” she added with a weak smirk. “Not fond of Maxwell Lord, either…”

“Do you hate my father?” Lucy asked abruptly.

Kara swallowed, taking her time before responding. “No. I hate what he’s done, what he’s trying to do.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did, Kara,” Lucy said honestly.

“I’m… I’m an intruder on your world. I wasn’t invited, and I have powers here that have to terrify a lot of people.” Kara switched off the device and straightened. “Your father knows I could burn this planet to the ground, Lucy. I get why he’s scared of me, scared of what I could do. He should be.”

“But you wouldn’t,” Lucy whispered, unnerved by the thought. She’d had her own fears and suspicions about Superman and Supergirl, but once she’d gotten to know Kara, they’d vanished. If only her father could see this amazing woman as anything other than a threat...

“I wouldn’t,” Kara agreed, “and before the whole Red K thing I would have said I couldn’t, but now I know just how dangerous I could become. I used to be secretly grateful for your father, knowing on some level he’d find a way to stop me, permanently, if it ever came to that again.”

“Kara…”

“There needs to be balance, Lucy. People who take precautions against me, against my cousin. It’s the smart thing to do. It’s the safe thing to do.”

“But my father crossed a line.”

“He did. While I understand the fear that drives him, he killed a lot of innocent people. That’s… that’s not okay. That’s never okay.”

“You have more acceptance of his actions than I do.”

“I don’t accept what he’s done, but some part of me understands it.” Kara motioned at the bed. “Sit. I’ll use this on your leg.”

Kara helped her hop to the edge of the bed before kneeling beside it, gently straightening Lucy’s leg and removing the bandage. She frowned at the sight of the injury. “I just hate that my being here brought this pain down on you… on the others. It was never supposed to be like this.”

Lucy’s heart clenched in her chest when she saw tears glittering in Kara’s eyelashes. “This isn’t your fault, either.”

Kara looked up at her. “Isn’t it? If I’d just died with my people, none of this would have happened.” Adjusting the device to a different setting, Kara turned it on again, placing it in direct contact with the wound. Lucy winced, heat pulsing deep into her leg, but it didn’t burn like before. “There’s plenty of blame to go around, I guess,” Kara murmured. “But it’s hard not to blame myself when I’m at the center of all this.”

Lucy swallowed, seeing the big picture more clearly now than she ever had. “If it hadn’t been you, it would have been someone else. That’s what comes from letting fear and hatred consume you.”

“It is,” Kara said on a sigh.

A few minutes later, Kara snapped off the device and looked up at Lucy with a tired grin. “How does that feel?”

Flexing her leg, Lucy’s eyebrows shot skyward when it didn’t hurt. She looked down, only seeing the faintest trace of a red line marking her skin, Kara having delicately slipped her stitches free as her skin had healed. “Holy crap that’s awesome.”

Kara chuckled at her enthusiasm as she got to her feet. “Mind if I keep this? Cat has some nasty bruises on her legs from the other night, and I’m sure Alex has a few as well.”

“Sure.” Lucy slid off the bed, hesitantly putting her full weight on her right leg. “Oh my God, I love you.” She pulled Kara closer and hugged her hard when there was no pain. 

Chuckling again, Kara embraced her. “Love you, too,” she drawled.

Lucy clung to her for a moment, determined not to let her father hurt this woman who’d brought so much joy into her life. “I’m glad you’re here, Kara. I’m sorry for all you’ve been through… what my father is putting you through now… but I’m so damn glad you’re here.”

Easing back, Kara gave her a watery smile. “Me too.”

****

The noose was tightening.

Lane hung up his phone, frowning as another contingency plan was rendered useless. Trees whipped past the car window as he was driven to the beta site, his mind spinning with his increasingly limited options.

Alex Danvers needed to be dealt with, for the sake of his daughter and his plans. How one woman had managed to throw such a wrench in things he couldn’t understand. He wanted her out of the way. Permanently.

Getting to Eliza Danvers was off the table. His spies reported that she was well-protected, even noting that Superman had been seen visiting her once or twice in the last week. Alex had her bases thoroughly covered, and Lane had to admit a tiny part of him was impressed. 

He checked his secure email account, noting his team had done a significant amount of cleaning up after him. Gibbons and O’Bannon were dead, collateral damage in Danvers’ war with him, and while he regretted losing his long-term allies, their deaths had been unavoidable. He would need to find a new team for when he managed to recapture his daughter.

His phone rang and he answered, listening intently.

“What alien tech?” Lane demanded. Slowly, he smiled. Perhaps getting to Alex Danvers wouldn’t be so difficult after all.


	18. Chapter 18

The mid-morning sun felt glorious on her skin. Kara closed her eyes, soaking it in, tipping her head back to feel the warm rays on her face. Her powers didn’t stir, but a familiar tickle raced along her nerves, the first telltale sign that her depleted reserves were beginning to absorb the energy she needed.

“I’m sleeping with a rechargeable battery.”

A grin split Kara’s features as she turned her head, spying Cat coming down the small hill from the house, sunglasses perched on top of her head. Cat sported a black leather jacket against the chill, and, coupled with her figure-hugging jeans, she painted quite the dangerous picture. Kara bit her lip, marveling, not for the first time, how lucky she was that this woman wanted to be with her.

“Well,” Kara drawled, beginning to blush already. “I can keep going and going and going…”

“Was that a sex joke?” Cat drawled, nonplussed, as she settled next to Kara at the picnic table Kara had claimed by the lake. “I’m clearly a corruptible influence on you.”

“Maybe,” Kara allowed, “but I rather like being corrupted if that’s the case.”

Smirking, Cat slipped her sunglasses off and set them on the table. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Kara admitted. She adjusted her glasses, wearing them, along with her ponytail, so no one would recognize her as Supergirl. “Feels good to get some fresh air and a few hours of sun.”

“Mmm. I’m just glad it stopped raining.”

Kara scooted closer and Cat smiled faintly, but there was something hesitant in her expression that set warning bells off in Kara’s head. “Should I keep my distance? Don’t want anyone to recognize you and think you’re slumming it with your former assistant?” The question came out harsher than intended.

Cat blinked. “Don’t be an idiot.” She frowned. “While we need to talk at some point about how we’re going to handle our… relationship… going forward, I have no interest in hiding you like some kind of dirty little secret.”

The news was welcome, and Kara felt a tiny flutter of excitement in her chest, but it was tempered by the knowledge something was bothering the other woman. “So… you see us as having that? A relationship?” Kara’s stomach tumbled nervously.

“I told you I loved you.”

“You did,” Kara agreed, still swooning a little at the words, “but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want… more.”

“More than love and sex?” Cat asked, bemused.

“I mean… being together and all that entails.”

Cat’s gaze searched her features. “I know these past few days have crammed in an awful lot of development, but…” Cat hesitated. “I think we’ve skipped the getting to know you phase of dating, don’t you?”

Kara smiled shyly.

Toying with her sunglasses, Cat shrugged, uncomfortable being so open about her feelings. “I suppose I just assumed…”

“Assumed what?” Kara asked gently.

“That we were… doing this. Us. The whole… together thing.” Cat glanced at Kara again, finding a growing smile waiting for her. “But I do have a teenage son…”

“I adore Carter.”

“And he adores you, but are you ready to become his…” Cat uncharacteristically hesitated again, and Kara’s heart kicked against her ribs at all the possible things Cat might have said.

“His what?”

Cat shook her head. “Never mind. We should probably wait to have this conversation when things have calmed down, when our emotions aren’t quite so high. We still have a lot of things to sort out.”

“We do,” Kara said slowly, “but you’re right. After everything we’ve been through in the last three years, what’s happening between us doesn’t feel new or fragile. It just feels right. It feels like... home,” Kara breathed. “Does that make sense?”

Breathing in slowly, Cat stared at her. “It does.”

“What were you going to say?” Kara asked. “When you wanted to know if I was ready with Carter?”

Cat swallowed, looking surprisingly nervous. “If we do this, if we enter into a long-term relationship…”

“Am I ready to be a parent to a teenage boy?” Kara asked, realizing she’d guessed correctly when Cat looked away. Her heart took flight at the thought, of them all being a family.

“It’s too soon to be talking about this.” Cat waved a hand dismissively. “I’m not good at this, Kara,” she admitted slowly. “I am a woman of many talents, but relationships… I have a pretty dismal track record.” She sighed, tracing a pattern in the wood grain on the bench between them. “Carter… adores you. I could see him easily getting his hopes up.”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Cat. The thought of us becoming a… a family, does scare me a little, but it’s not because I don’t want that. Just… just look at the mess we’re in right now because of me, because of who and what I am. I hate seeing you involved, put at risk. Do you understand that if we commit to this that there are risks? To you and to Carter? That this might not be the last time something like this happens to us?”

“I know you would do everything in your power, which is quite considerable, usually, to protect Carter and me.”

“But maybe we should talk to him…”

“He knows, Kara, and no, I didn’t tell him. Carter clearly inherited my reporter genes. We’ve… we’ve had conversations about you. A _lot_ of conversations. I dare say as of late you’re his favorite topic.”

Thrown by the news, Kara wasn’t sure what to address first. “I…”

“He’s been getting very impatient with me to ask you out. He’ll be thrilled by this development,” Cat said in a droll tone. “And we both know the risks of being in your life, being close to you. We’ve discussed them at length.”

“Cat…” Kara was barely able to breathe through the wonderful ache in her chest.

“We only get so much time. You of all people know that more than most. We’ve wasted enough.”

“You’d… you’d really welcome me into your family?” Kara didn’t dare hope.

“I would,” Cat said softly. “And so would my son.”

“I love you,” Kara whispered, tears spilling hotly down her cheeks as she leaned in and kissed Cat with feeling. The touch lingered, both surer than ever that this thing between them was real and lasting. It made Kara more determined than ever to protect it, whatever the cost.

****

Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, a raging headache starting to pound in her temples. A lack of sleep and dealing with so much red tape Kara could wrap a forest of redwoods like Christmas trees was making her eyes cross.

Tossing her phone on the nightstand, Alex flopped back against her pillows, tempted to close her eyes for just a few minutes. She’d shut herself off from the group early, staying in her bedroom most of the day while she dealt with varying levels of obstruction and sometimes outright hostility. Alex didn’t blame them. A lot of people were being put under a microscope thanks to General Lane’s actions. Those with nothing to hide would get over it soon enough, but it wore on her, wondering how many of the people she’d spoken to had approved of the general’s plan even if they hadn’t been a part of it.

She’d skipped lunch, but with Lane still on the loose and Lucy giving her the silent treatment, Alex was tempted to stay sequestered. Kara would come looking for her eventually. Maybe she could cowardly send her sister out to order a burger or something.

A hesitant knock had Alex propping herself up on one elbow. “Come in.” She sat up all the way when the door swung open to reveal Lucy standing there, sans crutches. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Lucy said quietly. She walked into the room without hobbling, and Alex frowned in confusion. “The healing device,” Lucy explained with a wave at her leg. “Apparently, it’s Kryptonian. Your sister worked some magic.”

Intrigued, Alex stood, drawing closer. “Does it still hurt?”

“Twinges a little when I move the wrong way, but for the most part I’m good as new. Physically anyway.” Lucy swallowed, her gaze darting around the room, looking anywhere but at Alex. “Um… I just… last night… This morning, rather...”

Alex drew in a deep breath. “It’s fine. Let’s just forget it.”

“I…” Lucy swallowed again before she made a deliberate effort to meet Alex’s gaze. “I want it too.”

Alex shook her head, not sure she understood.

“Dinner on the boardwalk. A walk on the beach. I want that too.”

For a long moment, Alex couldn’t breathe.

Lucy drifted closer, hesitantly reaching out and laying her fingers against Alex’s stomach. “Every time I needed to escape that hell they had me in, I imagined what it would be like to hold your hand beneath the stars, to kiss you beside the ocean.”

Heart pounding wildly, Alex raked a hand through her hair. “Um… I really… I really didn’t think you’d remember that.”

“Are you kidding?” Lucy smiled self deprecatingly. “Do you know why I was at the D.E.O. that night?”

Alex shook her head.

“I was in the hallway pacing back and forth like an idiot trying to work up the nerve to ask you out.”

Struggling to breathe around the expanding ball of happiness in her chest, Alex laughed slightly. “Bet you regret that, all things considered.”

“Not for a second,” Lucy promised her. “It scares me, though, more than a little… what I’m feeling for you. I kept chalking it up to attraction because…” She smiled, her gaze skimming Alex’s form. “You are hot, Danvers.”

Mortified to feel herself blush, Alex tucked her hair behind her ears. “I… never thought you’d look at me twice.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lucy looked positively disgruntled. “With that body… those eyes… that jaw… Jesus, that jaw,” Lucy murmured, unable to stop herself from reaching up and tracing along the edge of it with her fingertips.

Tingles chased down Alex’s neck, nearly making her shiver. She gripped Lucy’s hand, pulling it to her chest, flattered by Lucy’s description if a little skeptical. “Lucy…”

“But you’re more than your looks, Alex,” Lucy continued softly. “The way you are with Kara. Your loyalty to J’onn. And you’re so damn smart I feel stupid around you sometimes.” She hesitated, marshalling her thoughts. “I’m sorry. What I did last night, the way I treated you as some kind of…”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay.” Lucy sighed. “I’m glad you stopped things before we… Not that I don’t…” She cleared her throat nervously and Alex smiled.

“Lucy?”

Lucy met her gaze reluctantly.

“When this is all over, will you have dinner with me?” Alex asked softly.

“Yes,” Lucy whispered instantly with a charmed smile of her own. “I’d love that. More than just about anything.” Her fingers fisted in Alex’s shirt and tugged, drawing Alex down into a searing kiss.

“Whoops…” Kara barreled into the room only to pivot and turn her back when she saw them. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Alex let go of Lucy reluctantly, glaring at her sister. “Still don’t have that super hearing back yet, huh?”

Kara winced as she peeked at them over her shoulder before turning around completely. “Sorry,” she said again. “But gosh you two are pretty together.”

“Kara…” Alex drawled, waiting for her sister to come to the point as Lucy pressed into her side, chuckling softly.

“I was just going to give you this.” Kara set the healing device on the dresser. “I just finished treating Cat. First setting. Hold it about an inch from the skin. Back and forth motions. Should take care of that…” She pointed to the bruise on Alex’s jaw. “I’ll let Lucy… I mean when you two… you know. Right. Leaving now.” She disappeared without another word.

Lucy chuckled even harder as Alex shook her head at her sister’s antics. “She’s so adorable.”

“Lucky for her,” Alex muttered dryly.

Lucy let her go, crossing to the dresser and switching on the device. “C’mere. Let me deal with your bruises.”

“Are you trying to play doctor with me, Major?” Alex teased.

“I wasn’t, but now that you mention it...”

Alex grinned.

****

Cat watched the news feeds with a critical eye. Sam Lane had lead every newscast from coast to coast all afternoon. The fact he hadn’t been taken into custody yet chafed and left Cat with an increasing level of anxiety with each passing hour he remained free. She knew all too well how a cornered, injured animal could lash out, and she had no doubt Lane was holed up somewhere, licking his wounds and plotting his next move. She hoped Lois was taking precautions, although she suspected the general wasn’t so far gone as to have his own daughter killed. Hopefully.

She stared at the image of Lane on the nearest monitor. It was hard to believe he had fathered Lois and Lucy. That those two amazing and resilient women shared genetics with such a monster was unfathomable. Maybe the first Mrs. Lane had enjoyed an affair or two. Cat wouldn’t have blamed her.

Next to her, Vasquez typed a few more commands into her computer and sat back, watching the program run.

“Ever think of going into the private sector?” Cat asked, bored with the quiet.

Susan turned her head and looked at Cat in surprise when she realized she was the one being addressed. “Ma’am?”

“I detest that title as much as Alex does. Call me Cat.”

Susan nodded slowly. “Um… not really.”

“If you ever decide being part of a clandestine government organization isn’t for you, call me. We could use your skills in our emerging investigative unit at CatCo. I can guarantee you’d double your salary.”

Opening her mouth to respond, Susan shut it quickly as Kara reemerged from Alex’s room sporting a charming blush and a sheepish smile.

“Any luck?” Kara asked them, sliding her hands into the back pocket of her jeans. Her hair was slightly tousled from being outside, and the warm, soft blue sweater she was wearing made her appear like she’d just stepped out of the pages of an outdoor catalog.

Cat was still giddy over their earlier conversation, but her excitement was tempered by information she had yet to share with Kara, information that was going to upset the younger woman.

“I’m running some more locations on Hernandez's list,” Susan told them. “Maybe the general has a backup site. Some place he and his cronies can regroup. There are a few options on here that would work for him.”

Kara nodded, her expression more serious, and Cat got a glimpse of the superhero in the determined set of Kara’s shoulders. “Wish I could just fly out there and check.”

Susan smiled tightly. “Even if you had your powers, I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

“Have you found anymore lasers?”

Susan shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t have one mounted somewhere on the ground.”

“Are we even sure one of these lasers could stop Supergirl and Superman?” Cat asked, curious.

“Hard to say, Ma’am… uh… C-Cat,” Susan corrected off Cat’s glare, ignoring Kara’s slow grin. “I don’t really have enough data.” She scratched her chin, thinking. “Maybe I could run a few scans of the black site, see what I can find out. Although that last laser would have ruined your day,” she said to Kara.

“That much Kryptonite? I’d say so. I could feel it in the air. Sucked the last of my powers right out of me.”

They were all quiet a moment, the computers and drives humming softly.

“Um…” Susan sighed. “The major is wanted for questioning. Should I tell her? Say something to Alex?”

Kara and Cat exchanged glances. Cat had known this would happen, but hearing the news still stung.

“Later,” Kara said. “They’re… they’re hashing a few things out right now.” She smiled faintly, but she was clearly bothered by the news.

“And Lois?” Cat asked.

“She hasn’t been on any of the talk shows in the last several hours. Either she’s resting or…”

“Or she’s already been taken into custody.” Cat pursed her lips, a flicker of worry igniting in her chest. “Can you find her? Keep tabs?”

Susan nodded. “Already working on it.”

“Thank you.”

“The good news is, I’ve gotten word from the President. The general has been removed as head of the D.E.O. Alex’s clearance has been reinstated. She’s in charge again until Director Henshaw is well enough to resume his duties.”

“About damn time,” Kara grumbled. “Although there’s not much Alex can do from here.”

“True, but she can order the agents to active duty again to help with the investigation into the general or have them start rounding up the escaped alien fugitives. Lane and his men were just killing them.”

Kara’s jaw clenched, her blue eyes growing cold with anger. “I should be back there. Doing something…”

“Soon,” Cat promised her. “And speaking of…” she sighed, giving Susan a sideways glance before focusing on Kara. She couldn’t keep putting off the inevitable. “I’m flying back tomorrow morning.”

Kara went painfully still. “What?”

“I can’t stay here, Kara. If I’m missing from CatCo tomorrow, the general will put two and two together.”

“But…” Kara glanced at Vasquez who kept her head down now, staring at her monitors. “But I can’t protect you. I…”

“I’m protecting you this time. I’m keeping up the charade that Supergirl is dead. We’ll even announce it tomorrow on the news.”

“Whoa. Wait. That’s… I didn’t agree to that.”

“I’m going to get some water. Anybody want anything? No. Good.” Vasquez slid out from behind the computers and left them alone, hurrying toward the kitchen, proving the agent was as smart as Cat had suspected.

“I’m not letting you do this.” Kara put her hands on the table, leaning in and towering over the monitors and Cat.

“Listen to me,” Cat snapped, standing as well. “If I’m missing tomorrow, if I don’t make a statement about you, the general is going to know I’m helping you. I need to do this for you, for all of you,” Cat explained, gesturing at the house around them, “but I’m doing this for Carter and Adam, too.”

Kara hesitated at the mention of Cat’s sons. She swallowed, slowly sinking into an armchair, but she had no argument for that.

“Right now, they’re safe. The general doesn’t know I’m involved. I need to keep it that way, Kara.”

“But… but you won’t be safe. I can’t…” Kara’s eyes teared and Cat came closer, kneeling next to her. “Cat… please.”

“I may not even have to worry about it if he’s brought into custody by tomorrow morning. Maybe Alex can assign a few agents she trusts to blend into the workforce at CatCo. But Kara, if we can keep the general from getting wind of my involvement, there is so much more I can…”

“How do you know he hasn’t already?” Kara demanded, cutting her off. “You were poking around him last week, talking to his enemies...”

“But I was being careful. I know how to cover my tracks. Who to talk to and who to leave alone. While I’m just as capable of making a mistake as anyone, the fact that not even one of my accounts has been scrutinized tells me I’m not even on the general’s radar yet. I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Cat…”

Cat swallowed at the fear in Kara’s eyes. “I know. I don’t like it either. I don’t want to be apart from you regardless, but I must do this. I must keep up appearances. At worst, General Lane might think I was helping Lois if he gets wind of me talking to anyone. That’s why we let her take the lead, remember?”

Kara raked her hands through her hair and shook her head. “Then I’m coming with you.”

“The hell you are. You’re staying here with your sister. There is no one I trust more to keep you safe.”

“But who is going to keep _you_ safe? And I don’t like the idea of lying to the public about me!”

“Me either, but I’ll do whatever it takes to stop that son-of-a-bitch from hurting you, my boys, or anyone else.”

Kara drew in a deep breath. “I have no choice in this, do I?”

“Kara…” Cat pleaded.

“I just… I need to be alone.” Kara got to her feet and moved past her, walking toward the kitchen as Vasquez returned, giving her a look of concern as she passed.

“Everything okay?” Susan asked Cat.

“Just peachy,” Cat grumbled.

****

_“We’re nearly in position, Sir.”_

Lane nodded as he stepped out of the vehicle, switching his phone to his other ear as he stalked inside the beta site. He was pleased at how quickly his team had mobilized once they’d located Danvers and her associates. “I don’t care who’s in the house. Everyone dies except my daughter, and if you harm one hair on her head…”

_“Don’t worry, General. You’ll have the major back safe and sound before the day is over.”_

“See that I do.”

_“Permission to begin extraction, Sir?”_

“Permission granted.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but it is tense and has a fair amount of violence. Just wanted to warn you if you'd rather not read that sort of thing.

Working quietly, Susan ignored the romantic entanglements playing out in the house around her. She was privately amused by it all, but she had a job to do. Until General Lane was arrested, she was stuck in this house with the Danvers sisters and the trials and tribulations of their love lives. She was starting to feel like she was part of a reality show.

At least she’d located Lois Lane. The reporter was in the hands of officers that could be trusted, and she was nearly finished being questioned and would soon be released. Maybe then Cat would stop pestering her for updates. Lois and Cat were supposed to be professional rivals, but Cat was surprisingly worried about the other woman.

Susan jumped when an alarm sounded on one of her monitors, her gaze shifting immediately to detect the source. One set of perimeter sensors had been breached, and Susan’s heart rate kicked up in reaction. She snapped open her holster, her fingers resting on the butt of her weapon. It could be a neighbor walking their dog, a wild animal that had skirted too close, but when a second set of sensors went off, she knew they were in trouble.

Turning her head, Susan started to shout a warning. 

A series of pops sounded, glass and wood splintering throughout the house. Susan didn’t realize she was hit until she tipped over in her chair and struck the wall, fire sweeping down the right side of her body. 

Yanking her weapon free, she feebly reached up and shoved the table over for cover, catching a glimpse of too many men in black barreling toward the house outside the front windows.

****

“We’re going around in circles.” Cat sighed, leaning against the refrigerator as she watched Kara at the sink. “I can’t protect you if you come back with me.”

“I’m not asking you to protect me,” Kara fired back, gripping the counter as she turned to look at the other woman. “I feel like you’re not taking the threat to your life seriously.”

“I’m not an idiot, Kara. I know there’s risk involved, but you are in no condition to protect me or even yourself right now.”

“I can still fight even without my powers. Alex trained me.” Kara shook her head. “I’m coming back with you whether you like it or not.”

“And then all of this will be for nothing. Lane will get his hands on you. He’ll kill you, for real this time, and then who will protect me?”

Kara’s grip on the counter tightened. Having a battle of wits with Cat Grant was a lost cause, but there had never been so much at stake. “Cat…”

There was a series of pops throughout the house and the window above the sink suddenly splintered, forming a small hole that let the outside air rush in. Kara frowned in confusion, trying to process what she was seeing, but pain abruptly seized in her chest, radiating outward, cold and consuming. She gasped, her knees buckling.

“Kara?” Cat shouted in alarm, moving toward her, moving into the line of fire.

“No…” Kara reached for her as she fell, snagging Cat’s hand and dragging the other woman down with her. Another bullet punched through the glass above them, missing Cat by inches.

****

Lucy snapped the healing device off, her fingers trailing over Alex’s jaw. “How’s that feel?”

“Amazing. Oh you meant the bruise,” Alex joked, earning her a playful slap against her shoulder. Alex reached out, her hands curving around Lucy’s hips and drawing her closer, marveling that she could, that Lucy wanted her to. “Not bad, Dr. Lane.”

“Mmm.” Lucy tipped her chin up, kissing Alex softly before letting her mouth skim the freshly healed skin along Alex’s jaw. “I think I know a way to make it feel even better.”

The perimeter alarm on Alex’s phone went off.

“Is that…?” Lucy started to ask, but Alex spun, moving out of the room before Lucy could finish. Alex stopped in the hallway, reaching down for her backup weapon nestled in her ankle holster just as a section of the wall above her exploded. Alex dropped, shouting for Lucy to get somewhere more secure. Whoever was shooting had to be using their heat signatures as targets, and they’d just used a high-powered rifle to nearly blow her head off her shoulders.

Lucy, of course, didn’t listen.

The major stayed low, scrambling toward Alex. “Are you hit?”

Alex shook her head. She was sure she’d heard other pops, the sound of splintering glass. Her heart lodged in her throat when she realized they’d all been fired on at once. All of them but Lucy.

Something heavy tipped over and crashed to the floor in the living room. 

“Alex!” Cat yelled, fear heavy in her voice. Vasquez and Kara were notably silent.

Dread curled in Alex’s guts as tears burned her eyes. She blinked them away, trying to focus. The strike team would be moving in. They only had a few seconds before all hell broke loose. Alex didn’t know how they’d been found, she only knew they were likely all about to die. She looked back at Lucy, their gazes holding for a painful moment. They’d take Lucy again, and this time Alex wouldn’t be able to get her back.

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered.

****

“Cat…” There was blood in Kara’s mouth, filling the back of her throat. She didn’t understand what was happening, only that the people she cared about were in danger, only that Cat was crying, begging her to stay.

“Kara, hang on, sweetheart. Hang on.”

Another crash. Something metal clanked off the wall in the living room followed by a deafening bang, white flashing before Kara’s eyes, blinding her.

For a moment, Kara was lost in darkness. No sight, no sound. Her head swam and a shrill ringing cut through the quiet, throbbing in her ears.

And then it was bedlam.

The front and back doors burst open. Kara saw the muzzle of a gun, a glimpse of a man in tactical gear, and then he was gone, stumbling back down the steps as Alex rushed into the kitchen and opened fire. Gunshots sounded from the living room, Vasquez or Lucy defending their position.

Beside her, Cat was franticly trying to staunch the flow of blood. The cabinet shattered next to Cat’s head, splinters slicing the older woman’s cheek as another mercenary got inside. Alex charged toward them, her features twisted with rage and anguish, trying to put herself between the shooter and Cat and Kara, trying to forfeit her life for theirs. 

They were going to die. The truth cut through the creeping cold shutting Kara’s body down. Alex and Cat were going to _die_.

Fear surged through Kara, hot and sharp, arcing through her veins and sending power crackling through her blood. The bullet in her chest clinked harmlessly onto the tile floor, and the next man through the door caught a blast of her heat vision, setting his tactical vest on fire. He screamed.

“Go!” Kara growled as Alex whirled on her in surprise.  

Alex caught her gaze, seeing what she needed to see before turning and racing back down the hall as Kara got to her feet. 

“Stay down,” Kara ordered Cat as another man came through the door and fired, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off her now.

Anger ignited and Kara was on him before he knew what was happening. She grabbed him, feeling his bones break before she lifted him up like a doll and flung him at the three other men charging toward the house. They all went down in a tangled heap.

None of them got back up.

****

Nerves jangling, Alex stumbled toward the living room. Relief flared through her when she saw Vasquez move, but it was tempered by the sight of blood on the agent’s chest. That didn’t stop Susan from opening fire like a boss on every figure that moved past the front windows.

Lucy had scooped up Alex’s primary weapon at some point and was using it to put down any man stupid enough to step inside. Bodies were piling up by the door. Alex felt a burst of pride, but it was coupled with terror. Lane was coming for his daughter, and Alex would die before she let him have her again.

A body crashed through what was left of the window, striking the floor hard and skidding into the overturned table Vasquez was using for cover. Alex eased up, risking a peek around the corner in time to see Kara taking down the remaining men as if they were a nuisance, flies to be swatted, but Alex didn’t miss that Kara was striking harder than she’d ever seen her sister do with a human. Her stomach heaved.

And then the world went quiet, pulverized drywall and smoke drifting through the house, the sharp tang of spent gunpowder settling on the back of Alex’s tongue. 

****

Cat staggered to her feet, hands covered in blood. Gunshots still echoed in her ears, and her face stung where splinters of wood had sliced her cheek. In shock, she crossed to the sink, washing her hands off, trying not to stare at the heap of bodies outside. She had no idea if they were alive or dead, if Kara had just crossed a line she could never uncross.

Her whole body was shaking. When warm arms unexpectedly encircled her from behind, Cat turned in them, recognizing the touch instantly. She buried her face against Kara’s neck, smelling the copper stench of blood on her lover’s clothes.

“You okay?” Kara whispered. Cat realized she wasn’t the only one trembling.

“I’m okay,” she said, hoping to convince herself and the woman in her arms. “That was fortuitous timing.”

“A strong surge of adrenaline can bring my powers back online. When I thought they would...” Kara swallowed roughly and leaned back, studying Cat’s features with concern, her thumb brushing over the scratches on her cheek. “I’m sorry, Cat. God, I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

“Kara!” Alex shouted from the living room.

“We need to move,” Cat murmured, recognizing they had mere minutes before the police would arrive. Drawn by the concern in Alex’s voice, Cat headed for the living room, Kara on her heels, wincing when she saw Vasquez was down. Susan groaned, blood oozing down her right shoulder. Lucy was tearing through the agent’s shirt and Cat swayed a little in place when the bullet hole was revealed. She tore her gaze away, focusing on one of the mercenaries unmoving by the front door.

“It’s a through-and-through,” Lucy announced.

“Lucky me,” Vasquez huffed.

A flicker of a grin chased across Alex’s lips. “That’s it, Susan. Stay good and pissy.”

Vasquez glared. “They’ll be more. You should go.”

Cat frowned, noticing something on the mercenary’s tactical vest. She knelt next him, shoving him over slightly. When she realized what the device was, Cat sucked down a startled breath before she ripped it off in anger.

****

Clenching her jaw, Alex tried to plan their next move, her mind racing through their options. “Think,” she ordered herself under her breath.

“What can I do? Should I fly her to the hospital?” Kara asked.

Alex turned, momentarily thrown by all the blood and bullet holes on Kara’s sweater. If Kara’s powers hadn’t come back… She shook herself. “No. Lucy, you and Cat get our stuff. We don’t have much time.” Her tone was urgent, her movements jerky.

“We’re not leaving her,” Lucy muttered, her hand tightening protectively on Vasquez’s uninjured shoulder.

“We’re not. Go,” Alex barked, assuming command of the situation. 

Reluctantly, Lucy got to her feet, moving down the hall to collect their gear.

“Kara, can you use your heat vision to…” Alex turned her gaze back on Vasquez who bit her lip, realizing what was coming.

Kara swallowed and nodded, kneeling next to them, her eyes beginning to glow. “I’m sorry,” she told Susan.

“This is going to suck,” Vasquez hissed as Alex gripped her hand in wordless comfort. “Do it.”

Alex couldn’t believe Vasquez didn’t scream as Kara cauterized her wounds, but she gripped Alex’s hand so hard Alex knew it would ache for days. When it was over, a sickening smell hung in the air, and Kara scooped the now-unconscious Vasquez into her arms.

Gripping Kara’s shoulder as they both stood, Alex had to know, “You okay?”

“I think I might have…” Kara swallowed, looking nauseous. “Those men. I…”

Clenching her jaw, Alex couldn’t offer comfort. There was no time. 

“We have bigger problems.”

Cat’s voice drew their attention to the doorway where she leaned over one of the dead or unconscious men.

“What’s wrong?” Kara asked.

“They’re wearing body cameras.” Cat looked mournfully at Kara before her gaze cut to Alex. “They know I’m helping you now, and worse…”

“They know Supergirl is alive,” Alex realized.


	20. Chapter 20

Everything had gone to hell. 

Alex paced her new, temporary bedroom, her nerves and worries refusing to let her sit still. Five hours ago, Kara had nearly died, Lucy had almost been taken, and Alex nearly had her own head blown off. Her world had tilted on its axis, again, and Alex was trying desperately to figure out which way was up. She couldn’t help feeling as if she’d failed, as if she’d let everyone down. They all looked to her for answers, and right now Alex had none.

Thank God for Cat. She’d made plans Alex hadn’t known about, another vehicle, another location for them to hole up in just past the California state border. If Cat wasn’t so good at avoiding detection, they might all be dead by now.

Stomach roiling, Alex made her way into the en-suite, splashing some water on her face to keep her nausea at bay. Her legs were shaking, from fatigue or the aftereffects of too much adrenaline, it didn’t matter. Guilt gnawed at her guts for Vasquez, but the agent was resting comfortably at least. The doctor had left painkillers for Lucy, and they were coming in handy now.

“You okay?”

Kara’s voice, haunted and weary, startled Alex. She sucked down a cold breath and stood, meeting her sister’s gaze in the mirror.

“Been better,” Alex admitted. Grabbing a hand towel off the rack, she turned around, taking Kara in as she blotted her face dry. Kara had showered and changed, and Alex was relieved her sister was no longer covered in blood. “You?”

Kara’s jaw clenched. “I just got off the phone with Clark. Adam and Carter are safe with Eliza. I also made arrangements for Susan’s family.”

Alex took a deep breath. “That was smart. Moving them.”

Her sister shrugged. “Cat was worried. Rightly so. Hank is there now as well. Between him, Clark, and the DEO agents watching the place, they’re as safe as they can be.”

“How is Hank?” Alex asked, seizing on the topic.

“Getting better. Champing at the bit to help.”

A weak smile flickered across Alex’s lips and died. “No surprise there.”

They were both quiet a moment.

“Alex?” Kara swallowed, something heavy clearly weighing on her mind. “Should I just…” 

Alex heard something in Kara’s tone that sent a lance of fear through her. “Should you what?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Lowering her head, Kara wouldn’t meet her gaze, scaring Alex further. “So many people keep dying, keep getting hurt because of me. Should I just turn myself over to General Lane?”

“He’d kill you, Kara.”

“I know,” Kara whispered, but her gaze, when she met Alex’s again, was frighteningly steady.

Anguish quaked through Alex’s body but she tried to keep her voice calm. “No. That is not an option.”

“It’s the only way this ends, Alex. Maybe the only way I can keep the people I love safe.”

“No,” Alex said more firmly. “The way this ends is to put the son-of-a-bitch in a hole and bury him deep.”

“Someone else will just take his place.” Tears gathered like crystals in Kara’s eyelashes. “Maybe I’m not supposed to be here. Maybe I was supposed to die with my people. Death keeps following me, keeps claiming the people I love. I couldn’t bear it if I lost you… if I lost Cat...”

Alex pushed off the counter and pulled Kara into her arms. “You saved this whole world, Kara. Billions of people who still live and love because you’re here, because you’re _meant_ to be here.” Alex swallowed hard, her own tears burning in her tired eyes. “And I do not want to experience what this world is like without my sister. I need you. More than ever.”

Kara clung to her, tighter than usual, but Alex didn’t complain. “I think I killed those men at the house.”

Alex closed her eyes, having suspected what had triggered all of this. “You did what you had to do to save us.”

“I didn’t have to hit them so hard. I just got… I got _so_ mad, Alex. They were going to hurt you, kill you, take Lucy…I...” 

“I killed some of them,” Alex murmured, and Kara went still and quiet. “I didn’t shoot to wound, I shot to kill, because if I didn’t, they’d have kept coming until my friends and my family were dead. I defended the people I love with lethal force, and I will not apologize for that.”

“Alex…”

“Kara.” Alex sighed. “We’re at war, and people kill and die in war. I know it doesn’t make you feel any better to hear that right now, but we’re fighting for more than just our lives. We’re fighting for Clark, for J’onn, for all the other aliens out there who have no other home now but this one. Do they all deserve to die? To be hunted down like dogs because Sam Lane is a coward?”

“No,” Kara whispered, “of course not.”

“This is my line in the sand. I do not want to be part of a world that turns its back on souls in need. That’s not a world worth saving. The one that finds hope and joy in Supergirl, that’s the Earth I’m fighting for.”

Reaching out, Alex cupped Kara’s cheeks. “I know you’re hurting, and I know you’re scared, but sacrificing yourself won’t save us. Lane will still come after me, after Cat, and he’ll take Lucy again. Without you, we’re all as good as dead.”

Kara’s features crumbled, and she pitched forward into Alex’s arms again. “I’m not supposed to kill,” she breathed.

“Maybe you didn’t,” Alex reminded her, running her hands soothingly over her sister’s back, “but you would to protect me, to protect Lucy, Susan, and especially Cat, right?”

Kara reluctantly nodded.

“I’m sorry I didn’t protect us all better. I’m sorry I put you in that position.”

“Alex…” Kara reprimanded. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“Then it’s not yours, either. They had tech we didn’t know about,” Alex murmured, thinking of the tracker Cat had pulled off the mercenary along with his phone and camera. “A way to track alien technology.”

“The healing device.”

Alex nodded. “As soon as we turned it on they were able to ping our location. Maybe when this is over we’ll be able to use it again. Cut Vasquez’s recovery time in half. For now, though, it has to stay off.”

Kara put her chin down on her sister’s shoulder, lingering in the hug, not that Alex minded. 

“Getting shot really hurts,” Kara muttered after a few moments, and Alex closed her eyes again, knowing the worst of the moment had passed. Kara would need more reassuring later, but Alex was determined to see her through this. Cat likely was as well.

“It doesn’t feel particularly good, no.” Alex leaned back and gave her sister a weak grin. “Is Cat okay?”

A thin smile formed on Kara’s lips. “Just when I think I know how tough she is, she surprises me.”

****

“For God’s sake, Lois, stop with the histrionics.” 

“The plan just went to shit, Kitty. I think I’m allowed a little bit of hysteria, if you don’t mind.”

The scent of fall hung heavy in the air as Cat rolled her eyes, pacing in the backyard of the cabin she’d rented as a contingency. It was out of the way enough to feel isolated, but it still held all the amenities, including excellent Wi-Fi. This was as close to roughing it as she got these days. 

She’d used a different alias and an off-the-books account to secure the location, neither of which could be traced back to her in any way, but Cat’s paranoia wouldn’t leave her. Her gaze searched the woods around her with suspicion. Feeling exposed outside, Cat resisted the urge to flee indoors, determined not to give into her anxieties and fears brought on by the day’s drama. That’s what her Lexapro was for, and when she got back to National City she was going to pop those babies like M&Ms for a week.

“You’re not the one who nearly had her head blown off. Twice.” Cat ran her fingers over the bandage Kara had applied in their new SUV. The shallow scratches still stung, but nothing like before. She needed a shower, Kara, and sleep, and not necessarily in that order. “Calm the hell down.”

“Is Lucy okay?”

“She’s pissed. We’re all pissed. Pissed and scared and fed up.” Cat paused, drawing in a deep breath of the cool, crisp air. “We need this over, Lois.”

“We’re working on it.” Lois sounded a little more measured now, a little more thoughtful. “A lot of my father’s sympathizers have been rounded up and are being questioned. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Speaking of being questioned… How’d that go?”

“Wasn’t my first rodeo,” Lois muttered. “Lots of guys in desert camo asking me lots of question about my father. It was about like you’d expect.”

“But you’re all right?” Cat asked, too distracted to hide her worry for the other woman behind a pointed barb.

“I’m okay.”

The back door opened and Cat turned, unsurprised to see Kara step outside, keeping a watchful eye on her. The younger woman looked wrecked, and Cat wanted nothing more than to hold her. A few hours ago, Kara had been dying in her arms, and the need to be close to her, to feel Kara’s heat, to listen to the soothing sound of her heartbeat, had been plaguing Cat like a physical ache.

“What?” Cat said, having missed whatever Lois was going on about now.

“I said Clark is helping. He’s got contacts in the military, and they’re funneling him information about the interrogations.”

“You dragged Clark Kent into this mess?”

There was a funny pause on the other end of the line. “They didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Nothing,” Lois muttered. “And I didn’t drag Clark into anything so much as he shoved his way in once he heard about the latest attack.”

Cat pursed her lips. “I suppose that Kansas charm might be an asset in all this.”

“You have no idea.”

Narrowing her eyes, Cat knew she was missing something and it annoyed her, but her focus was being drawn further and further toward Kara. “I’ll have Lucy call you. She’s busy setting up Susan’s equipment, trying to use the cell phone we grabbed off one of those men to trace your father’s whereabouts.”

“I’m just glad she’s safe, that you’re all safe.”

“Keep plastering yourself shamelessly all over the talk shows. I’ll be in touch.”

Cat hung up, cutting off Lois’ protest mid-sentence. Slipping her phone into her pocket, she shuffled through the thick carpet of leaves over to Kara who was now sitting on the back steps. 

“He’s Superman,” Kara said by way of greeting.

Canting her head, Cat frowned. “What? Who is?”

“Clark.” Kara smiled slightly with effort. “He’s my cousin.”

Cat blinked then blinked again for good measure. She’d had her suspicions, of course, but then she’d watch Clark bumble through the offices at the Planet or aww shucks his way through an interview and just couldn’t buy it. “Son-of-a-bitch.”

Kara laughed at that, the sound welcome and lifting Cat’s spirits considerably. She smiled tightly and settled next to her on the steps.

“Well,” Cat murmured. “I used to worry Kent was second best to Superman for Lois. I guess I needn’t have.” She looked askance at Kara before reaching down between them, taking the younger woman’s hand in her own. She was addicted to touching her, amazed how much better the simplest contact could make her feel. 

Now that she’d experienced Kara with and without her powers, Cat could detect the difference. There was an energy coming off the other woman now, the air practically vibrating with it. Kara’s grip was no longer as strong, an irony Cat appreciated, but she ached to think Kara’s couldn’t feel how chilled Cat’s hand was from being out in the cold.

“I meant what I said,” Kara murmured, “at the lake house. I’m sorry I got you into all this.”

“Nothing has changed for me, Kara.”

Kara looked at her then, and Cat hated seeing darkness and doubts back in her blue eyes. “But…”

Cat placed a single finger over Kara’s soft lips, and the younger woman smiled wearily.

“I’m where I want to be, which is beside you.” To prove her point, Cat replaced her finger with her mouth, kissing Kara like her life depended on it. After a few moments, Kara slowly but enthusiastically began to respond, leaning into her, one hand gently tangling in her hair to urge her closer.

“I love you,” Kara whispered when they parted, and even though her voice was soft, it carried a fierceness to it Cat didn’t miss.

“I love you, too. All this is a setback, Kara. We’ll get him.”

“And then we’ll live happily ever after?” Kara asked dubiously.

“Why not?” Cat swallowed, her mind conjuring images of rings, and weddings, and watching Carter grow up with this woman by her side. It was too soon for any of that, Cat knew. They’d only just begun an intimate relationship, but what was between them had been brewing and strengthening for years. Now that their feelings were out in the open, now that they knew how well they worked together, those stray thoughts had been entering Cat’s mind more and more the past few days.

Cat had sworn she’d never marry again after her second husband, but Kara made her want it, made her want that kind of life together. Maybe the third time would be the charm if they lived long enough to make it a reality.

“Really?” Kara breathed.

“When all this is over, come away with me for a long weekend. We’ll take Carter with us.”

Kara was smiling now, allowing herself to be distracted. “Where would we go?”

“Wherever you want.”

Something sparkled in Kara’s eyes, the darkness receding just a little. “I doubt that.”

Cat arched an eyebrow.

“Unless the Queen of All Media wants to go to Disneyland.”

Rolling her eyes drew another laugh from Kara’s lips just as Cat had intended. “I could take you anywhere in the world, and you want mouse ears and tea cup rides?”

“I want to see the joy on Carter’s face,” Kara said wistfully, “and the joy on yours when you watch him.”

Cat took a deep breath, her feelings so strong for Kara they threatened to overwhelm her. “And all the junk food you can eat?” she guessed, trying to keep the moment light even though she was staring into the face of her future.

“That’s just a bonus.”

Reaching up, Cat gently brushed a lock of hair from Kara’s features. “The things I do for you.”

“Lucky me,” Kara murmured before closing the distance between them and kissing Cat breathless.

****

Lucy slipped out of Vasquez’s bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. She’d changed the agent’s bandages, checking Susan’s vitals to make sure she was weathering her injury. So far there was no sign of worrisome fever, and Vasquez had even woken briefly, taking a few sips of water and eating a little bit of soup. She promised she would be fine, but Lucy hated that Susan was in pain and suffering from the general’s actions.

Sighing, Lucy settled at the dining room table. She’d set most of the computer equipment up and had placed additional perimeter sensors around the property. They were more isolated this time, and Lucy had taken the added precaution of including a few strategically-placed claymores, not having to worry about nosey neighbors getting too close. If they found themselves under attack again, the people doing the attacking were going to regret it in short order.

It was an odd relief to be active again, playing a role in her own survival and looking out for her friends. Perhaps she was kidding herself, but watching Alex nearly die right in front of her had jolted her out of her numbness and into seething anger. The man who had sent those mercenaries to kill her friends was not her father, and Lucy suspected if it came down to it, she’d be able to pull the trigger on him now. Twenty-four hours ago, she wasn’t so sure about that.

The mercenary’s phone Cat had recovered was hooked to the computer as one of Vasquez’s programs tried to untangle where the general’s call had originated from. It was a long shot, but they had to try. Lucy just wasn’t sure what they’d do when they found him.

All that mattered now was protecting the others and finding a way to stop her father before he hurt anyone else. He would not get his hands on Kara or Clark, and Lucy would let him touch Alex over her dead body.

Closing her eyes, Lucy put her head down on her arms where they rested on the table. The Sam Lane she’d known and loved was gone. She’d grieve him when this was over. Right now, she needed to keep the others safe.

Warm fingers unexpectedly slid over her shoulders and began a gentle massage. Lucy sighed again, recognizing Alex’s touch instantly by the way her body welcomed it. Alex’s hands were strong, and they kneaded the tight muscles, coaxing them to relax. Lucy leaned her head back, looking up into Alex’s features. “Missed your calling, Danvers.”

Alex smirked faintly, but Lucy didn’t miss how exhausted she looked. The thought of taking Alex to bed, curling around her longer frame, and sleeping the next week away sounded pathetically enticing. 

“I’m just good with my hands,” Alex murmured, proving it as her fingers began to tackle the stiff muscles in Lucy’s neck.

Groaning softly, Lucy wanted to offer a witty reply to that innuendo, but her eyes nearly rolled back in her head at how good Alex’s touch felt. “How’s Kara?” 

“Shaken.” Alex swallowed. “She’s blaming herself for all this.”

“And here I thought it was all my fault,” Lucy said with understanding. “I’m betting you think it’s yours.”

“Aren’t we a team?” Alex smiled thinly. 

“We are.” Lucy was quiet a moment, enjoying Alex’s nearness. “We need to get over ourselves a little.”

“Although I bet Cat isn’t beating herself up right now.” 

Lucy chuckled at the thought. “It’s good to be the Queen.”

Alex snorted. 

They were quiet for a moment as Alex continued to massage Lucy’s neck and shoulders, both taking comfort in the touch, in simply sharing the same space, in surviving to fight another day.

“Kara thinks she might have killed some of those mercenaries,” Alex admitted quietly.

Lucy had suspected that might be the case. Watching Kara dispatch those men had made Lucy a little sick. “Do you think she did?” 

“Possibly.” Alex was quiet a moment. “I’ve tried so hard to spare her from that, but I’ve always known sooner or later it would happen. I just always thought it would be an accident.”

“She was protecting us.” It wasn’t that simple and Lucy knew it. 

“Supergirl doesn’t kill, at least not intentionally,” Alex murmured.

“She still doesn’t.” Lucy watched the monitors for a moment. “But maybe Kara Danvers does when someone tries to kill the people she loves.”

Alex’s touch faltered slightly before resuming. 

“I’ll never forgive him for today. He came so close to…” Lucy took a shaky breath. “I was behind you when that bullet punched through. If you hadn’t been going for your weapon...” She barely repressed a shiver.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.”

Lucy reached up, snagging Alex’s right hand and pulling it down to her chest. Alex stumbled a step closer, her stomach pressing lightly against the back of Lucy’s head. “However all this ends just… please…”

Alex said nothing, waiting her out.

“Don’t let him take you, okay? Don’t die on me, Alex.” 

Alex leaned in, wrapping her other arm around Lucy’s shoulders, her chin settling on top of Lucy’s head. “I’ll do my best. I’ve got a date at the beach to keep after all.”

Smiling slowly, Lucy brought Alex’s hand to her lips and kissed it softly. “Forget the date on the beach. It’s what I plan to do to you after that you should live for.”

“That’s pretty good incentive, Major.”

Lucy tipped her head back again and smiled. With a shake of her head and a grin, Alex kissed her, softly and thoroughly.

“Yeah,” Lucy murmured when they parted. “That’s worth living for.”

****

Even with her powers back, Kara was chilled. She wanted to dismiss the sensation as a figment of her imagination, a memory of the way the fall air had felt on her skin at the lake house, but it was more than that. The icy cold had spread through her when she’d been shot, slow and insidious, and Kara accepted that if her powers hadn’t surged back to life she would have died in Cat’s arms. A tiny, scared part of her wished she had, then maybe she wouldn’t have…

Swallowing, Kara closed her eyes, trying to forget the sounds of those men screaming, their bones snapping in her grip like twigs. It made her sick to think she might have killed, but what was more unsettling was how much she’d wanted to. Lane’s men had hurt Cat, would have killed both her and Alex. Fear had reactivated her powers, but Kara knew deep down it had been mixed with a rage she thought she could control.

Now she wasn’t so sure, and that scared the hell out of her.

Blinking away tears and the depression that threatened to settle in her chest, Kara listened as Cat puttered around the bathroom, getting ready for bed. The sounds soothed her. When the shower came on, Kara bit her lower lip, imagining the other woman stepping beneath the hot spray. Needing to feel something alive, something warm, Kara slipped from the bed before she even realized it.

Peeling off her pajamas, Kara crept quietly into the bathroom, taking a moment to simply stare at Cat as the steam rose seductively around her. She was beautiful, and the moment grounded Kara in a way nothing else could. She would kill for this woman, and if she had today, she would live with that, knowing she’d protected one of the most precious things on this planet.

Cat let out a little yip of surprise when Kara snuck into the shower, her hands sliding around Cat’s tiny waist before skimming higher, pulling Cat’s wet body against her. As Kara’s arousal increased, so did sensation, and she closed her eyes, breathing Cat in and savoring how good she felt.

“Yes?” Cat drawled, tired but amused, as Kara hummed lightly against her neck.

“Just wanted to be close to you,” Kara murmured, nuzzling the patch of skin just below Cat’s right ear, knowing it was especially sensitive. 

“Mmm.” Cat leaned into her. “You okay?” she asked gently, a wealth of understanding in her voice.

“I am now,” Kara whispered. She reached out, grabbing the bottle of shower gel and pouring some into her other hand before she began to massage the soap into Cat’s skin. She’d honestly meant to be helpful, even sweet, but when Cat turned in her arms, her body sliding and slippery against Kara’s, sweet and helpful went down the drain.

Cat kissed her, hard and hungry, pushing against her until Kara complied, backing up until she hit the tile with enough force to crack a few. Neither of them noticed. The cold Kara hadn’t be able to shake fled from the heat of Cat’s body, leaving fire in its wake. 

It wasn’t until Cat’s right hand lingered between Kara’s breasts and a soft whimper reached Kara’s ears that she realized she wasn’t the only one hurting. She tipped Cat’s chin up, stricken to see tears in the other woman’s eyes.

“I’m okay,” Kara whispered, kissing Cat softly. “We’re okay.”

Cat swallowed, nodding hesitantly. “Show me.” Her hand flattened over smooth skin where a bullet hole had been hours before. “Make me believe it.”

Kara kissed her, long and deeply, and Cat moaned softly into her mouth. “I can do that,” she vowed, sliding down Cat’s body to settle on her knees. Urging one of Cat’s long legs over her shoulder, Kara eagerly set to work at keeping that promise.

****

The beta site smelled of age and mildew as General Lane settled at a desk to review the body camera footage from his extraction team. Others in the compound were still bringing their computers and equipment online in the facility, and he sincerely hoped they’d get the air conditioning in working order sometime soon. Sweat trickled down his back and temples, making the uncomfortable underground bunker even more so. At least the facility had been secure. He’d made sure to keep it in working order all these years just in case, but neither he nor his associates had ever expected to need it.

His staff was nowhere near the size it should have been. Too many of his trusted officers had been taken into custody, with every hour bringing news of his ranks shrinking further and further. It was frustrating and inconvenient, but none of it would deter him from what needed to be done.

He’d poured himself a cheap whiskey for the occasion, anger simmering hot in his stomach since learning the extraction team had failed to recapture his daughter. Sipping it slowly, he cued up the video, wanting to see for himself who was helping Alex Danvers stay a step ahead of him. 

It didn’t take long to see how his team had been prevented from fulfilling their mission.

_Supergirl._

Seething, Lane thought of Lois, knowing his daughter had gone along with the charade, duping him into believing he’d successfully killed the Kryptonian. Had his men known the supposed superhero was at the lake house they would have dealt with her accordingly.

He watched as Supergirl took out his men with brutal efficiency, but it was one of the last frames of video that caught his attention. Cat Grant, the supposed Queen of All Media, leaned into the shot to rip the body camera off one of Lane’s men, plunging the video to black.

The Danvers sisters were proving to be formidable opponents, and now that he knew Grant was working with them, he recognized the scope and depth of their resources. He didn’t know how Grant had found out so much about his anti-alien activities, but he knew now she was behind the media assault against him. He’d believed her to be a silly, vain woman, more concerned with fashion and appearances than honest journalism. He should have known she would do what was necessary to protect Supergirl, her little cash cow.

While he was certain her proximity to a Kryptonian had poisoned her mind, much as Supergirl had done to his daughter, Grant would pay for trying to stop him from what needed to be done to protect the planet. Her desire to shield her little alien pet would be the end of her. Once the Danvers sisters were dead and buried, he’d crush Cat Grant and her empire. Alien allies were just as much a threat as the creatures they protected.

They needed to be eradicated just as thoroughly.


	21. Chapter 21

Alex missed the sun and warmth of National City, but she had to admit there was something to be said for more vivid reminders of the seasons. Leaves blanketed the ground beneath her feet and the trees above blazed with color, the air pleasantly pungent with the strong scent of fall. It made her want to start a campfire, to roast marshmallows with Lucy nestled warm and snug between her knees as they watched the flames.

By unspoken agreement, they’d crawled into the same bed again last night. Alex was getting addicted to having Lucy Lane sleep half on top of her. Knowing the sight would probably enrage Lucy’s father had only made Alex tighten her grip. Lucy had somehow kept the demons at bay, allowing Alex to get some desperately-needed sleep.

Alex turned her head when the back door opened and grinned as the woman on her mind stepped outside. Lucy was holding two stainless steel tumblers as she approached, her boots crunching through the dry leaves.

“Hey,” Lucy greeted with a smile, her cheeks already growing rosy in the crisp air. She set a tumbler down in front of Alex before straddling the bench to sit beside her. 

“More coffee?” Alex tapped her pen on the lip of the tumbler, not sure she was up for another cup.

“Hot chocolate.”

“Kara been raiding the cabinets this morning?” Alex guessed as she popped the lid open and took a sip. 

“Oh yeah. She’s very _perky_ this morning considering the events of yesterday. I think someone got lucky last night.”

Alex closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, wincing at the thought, and Lucy chuckled at her discomfort.

“C’mon, Alex. You know they’re having sex.”

“I handle it better when we describe it as ‘sleeping together.’ That doesn’t imply…” Alex gestured vaguely with her hands, and Lucy only laughed harder. “She’s my baby sister, and she’s being defiled and corrupted by Cat Grant.”

“Do you really feel that way?” Lucy asked, growing serious.

“No.” Alex sighed and pressed her lips into a tight line. “And even if I did, Kara seems to enjoy it.”

Lucy grinned again. “They’re cute.”

“They are,” Alex allowed begrudgingly. She watched as Lucy snagged a corner of the notebook she’d been writing in, dragging it closer.

“What’s this?”

“Just trying to organize my thoughts. They’re kind of a mess right now.”

Lucy set her elbow on the table and her chin on her fist, reviewing Alex’s scribbles. “You think all these people can be trusted?”

“Mostly. Some more than others.” Alex took another sip of her hot chocolate, enjoying the taste and texture. She licked her lips. “I’m identifying all our resources.”

Frowning, Lucy looked up at Alex, her green eyes narrowing slightly. “Little surprised to see his name.”

Alex glanced at the name Lucy was tapping on. “I don’t like it, either, but we may not have a choice.”

“Maxwell Lord can’t be trusted, Alex. He and my father are thick as thieves. They both share a similar distrust of aliens.”

“They do,” Alex agreed, “but Max was a friend of the D.E.O.”

“A friend of yours too, if I recall.”

Alex cocked her head, hearing an interesting note to Lucy’s voice. “Are you jealous, Major?”

“Should I be?” Lucy shot back.

Alex made her wait for the answer for a moment. “Not even a little,” she finally admitted.

“So you and he never…”

“Hell no.”

The added vehemence in Alex’s voice brought a tiny grin to Lucy’s lips. 

“The only time I ever touched Max was to rough him up.”

“He probably thought that was foreplay.”

Alex snorted. “Max is a player. I won’t say he didn’t make a play for me, several in fact, but according to Kara, he’s been after Cat for years, too. You telling me he never made overtures toward you? Because I find that very hard to believe.”

“He did. Once.”

Alex’s eyebrow rose with her skepticism.

“My father threatened him,” Lucy said. “He didn’t do it again.”

They were quiet a moment. Lucy sighed and turned her attention back to Alex’s notes, but Alex kept looking at Lucy.

“I won’t let him hurt you.”

Lucy glanced at Alex in surprise, hearing the steel and promise in her voice. “Alex…”

“When I thought they were going to take you… that I’d failed you…”

“Hey,” Lucy said softly, cupping Alex’s cheek with her palm. Her fingers were cold, but the warmth that bloomed in Alex’s chest was anything but. “There has never been anyone in my life who has been there for me the way you have.”

“He almost took you again…”

“But he didn’t.” Lucy leaned in, kissing her gently. “And one good thing to come out of all this… Kara has her powers back. We just need to get our heads on straight. Figuratively speaking, of course.” Lucy winked.

Alex closed the distance between them, kissing Lucy with a little more heat. This time they lingered in the touch, in the taste, reinforcing what they were fighting for, reminding themselves of all they had to lose.

When they parted, Lucy rested her forehead against Alex’s. “You’re very good at that.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Major.”

Lucy grinned before taking a deep breath, reluctantly focusing back on the task at hand. She turned her head, snagging the notebook again and placing it between them. “So… people we trust…” she prompted.

“We need to stop defending ourselves and go on the attack. The general is at the weakest he’s ever been. We need to find a way to make him come to us, to lure him out.”

“And how do we do that? Use me as bait?” Lucy asked, but she didn’t seem mad. “Or Kara?”

“I thought about it,” Alex admitted, “but he’d know that was a trap. We need someone he trusts. Someone he thinks is on his side. Someone he thinks might help him when he needs it most.”

“Max,” Lucy realized. “Alex…”

“I know. I don’t trust him, either. We need a way to control him, control the situation.”

“There has to be another way.”

“I’m open to suggestions, Lucy, but this is the one person we have a shot at working with us that can lure your father out.”

“You really think this will work?”

Alex shrugged, her lips pressed into a fine line. “I think it might be our best shot.”

“Well, your last Hail Mary succeeded,” Lucy drawled.

Alex would give just about anything not to involve Lord, especially when he’d tried to kill Kara just as often as Lane. “I wish we had better options.”

Gathering a fistful of Alex’s jacket, Lucy tugged her closer. “Whatever plan we choose, I’m with you. I’d follow you to hell and back, Danvers.”

Leaning forward, Alex kissed Lucy softly. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

**** 

Susan sipped her hot chocolate as she watched the scans run. Her shoulder ached dully, but the pain meds were doing their job so she’d decided to do hers. 

The general was still out there, still free to plot and plan, and Susan was not okay with that. His raid on the lake house had pissed her off, and she was determined to find something that would give them a chance at a little payback.

Kara settled in the chair next to her, watching the monitors, a pensive look on her pretty features. Susan caught herself staring for a moment, boggled, not for the first time, that the woman sitting next to her was literally from another planet. Kara’s hands were strong enough to lift a million tons, and yet the woman beside her seemed almost breakable this morning.

“You okay?” Susan asked.

Kara glanced at her in surprise. “I should be asking you that question.”

“You already did. When you gave me the hot chocolate, remember?”

Smiling weakly, Kara nodded. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

Susan shrugged, wincing a little as the skin around her injury pinched. “It’s what I signed up for.”

“You didn’t sign up to get shot and cauterized, Susan.”

“Specifically? No, Ma’am, but one doesn’t agree to serve the D.E.O. and not expect to get hurt sooner or later. Or worse. I accepted the risks then, and I accepted the risk when I agreed to come with Alex on this mission. I have no regrets.” She took another sip of her hot chocolate. 

Kara smiled slightly. “I am glad you’re here. Alex and I trust few people completely, but you’re one of them.”

Susan smiled, surprised and touched by the sentiment. “Thanks.”

“So what’s going on out there this morning?” Kara asked.

“More of Lane’s conspirators were arrested overnight, Lois is back on the talk shows, and your mother and Cat’s sons are all doing well.”

“About as much as we can hope for right now, huh?”

Susan nodded. “I ran a few scans of the black site, to see what we could find out about the laser.” She tapped a few keys one-handed, bringing up the schematics for the device. “While Mr. Lord built the power source to mimic an Omegahedron’s power output, it doesn’t actually come close. It’s only a fraction of the strength.”

“A fraction was enough to destroy the D.E.O.”

“It was, but I’m not sure it’s actually powerful enough to stop you, Ma’am.”

“Stop calling me ‘ma’am,’ Susan.”

“Habit. Sorry.”

Kara grinned. “Any way to know for sure? If I don’t have to worry about this thing, then I’m going straight at the general with everything I’ve got.”

“There’s still the kryptonite factor. If he has more lasers like the one trained on the black site, I wouldn’t recommend it. That had enough juice to kill you.”

Scowling, Kara leaned back in her chair. “I hate this. I hate that I can’t just fly out there and stop him.”

“I’m not thrilled about it either. I’d enjoy seeing you punch his ass to China.”

A small grin quirked Kara’s lips at Susan’s droll humor. “Any of the sites on Hernandez's list work out?” 

“A few have some promise.” Susan tapped some more keys, bringing the maps up for three locations. “Two in Arizona and one outside Vegas. I’ve been monitoring satellite transmissions, but so far I haven’t seen any activity around any of them.”

Frowning, Kara eased closer. “Could they have programmed the satellites to have a blind spot where those sites are concerned? Like putting video on a loop?”

Susan glanced at her, surprised.

“I am from an advanced alien civilization, Susan. I’m smarter than I look.” Kara winked at her, and Susan blushed.

“Of course. I just…” Susan cleared her throat. God, why did she always get flustered around pretty girls? “So maybe we look at some other indicators.”

“Energy consumption. It would spike if one of those sites started drawing power from the grid.”

Susan looked at her again, impressed. “Yeah. Yeah,” she agreed, typing a few commands. “They might have their own power source, though.”

“Like an Omegahedron?” Kara speculated.

They glanced at each other.

“Jesus,” Susan muttered, refining her search.

“They used Kryptonian tech to track me? Now I’m going to use it to track them.” Kara leaned back in her chair, looking thoughtful, and more than ready to kick a little righteous ass.

“Hey,” Alex greeted them as she stepped back inside, Lucy on her heels.

“Hey.” Kara smiled at the pair until she watched them exchange a look. Lucy split off and walked down the hall without a word. “Everything okay?”

Alex sighed as she sat her tumbler and notebook on the table. “We’ve got a plan, but we need to talk.”

“Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this plan?” Kara asked.

“Because you’re not.”

****

Cat sat back on the bed, gazing at Lucy speculatively. “You can’t be serious.”

Lucy shrugged, crossing her legs as she eyed Cat from a reading chair. “You got a better idea? I’m all ears.”

Rolling her eyes at the request, Cat shook her head. “We’re poking a lot of powerful people with very big sticks lately, aren’t we?”

“Come on, Cat. You kept a dossier on my dad for more than a decade. You’re telling me you haven’t done the same for Max? That you don’t have enough on that sleaze to take him down?”

“Of course I do,” Cat sniped. “You thought your father’s file was impressive…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that we’re not using information the right way. You’re a lawyer, Major Lane, you must know you’re talking about blackmail.”

“You’re damn right I am, and I won’t lose a second of sleep over it. Do you know how many times Max has tried to kill Kara?”

Cat’s jaw clenched. “I’ll expect for you to enlighten me at some point, but clearly Max isn’t very good at it.”

“He’s been very good at it, Cat. He knows her identity. He knows about Alex and the D.E.O. Hell, he created the red kryptonite that infected Kara and caused her to toss you off your balcony.”

Cat bristled, but Lucy suspected Cat’s upset was more on Kara’s behalf than her own.

“I get this doesn’t sit well with you, but the plan isn’t to use the information you have, just imply that we will. Give Max enough indication of what you have on him to make him behave.”

“I dare say there aren’t enough threats in the world to make Maxwell Lord behave,” Cat drawled. She got to her feet, pacing the length of the room. “And I never said I wasn’t willing to hold his feet to the fire. Hell, I’ll throw him in head first if it will save Kara, but you’re asking me to cross a line I’ve tried very hard to never cross. Information is power, and it should be wielded justly.”

Lucy pursed her lips. “You know I wouldn’t ask if it there was another way.”

Running her hands through her loose curls, Cat sighed. “Doesn’t the D.E.O. have information on him?”

“We do. But it’s on backup servers off-site since the original files were destroyed in the attack. Not the easiest thing for us to just waltz in there and get right now.”

“Alex is in charge…”

“She is,” Lucy agreed, “but it will take time, and time is something we’re running out of. While we have some recent infractions on him that we can recall from memory, most of them involve Kara and we’d prefer to leave Supergirl out of the equation.”

Cat sighed, glaring up at the ceiling. “I can recall some of the worst of his crimes.” She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “But what if he threatens to out Kara’s identity? What if he does more than threaten?”

“Alex is talking to her about that right now,” Lucy admitted.

Swallowing, Cat looked vaguely ill, but her hazel eyes were suddenly full of fire. “Do you understand what you’re asking of her?”

“We do.”

“No. I don’t think you do. Kara needs to be Kara as much as she needs to be Supergirl. She can’t lose that.”

Lucy drew in a deep breath. “Do you really think that’s realistic? That Kara would be able to keep her identity a secret forever?”

“Maybe not forever, but sure as hell longer than right now. Damn it, Lucy, she and I...” Cat bit back the rest of the thought, and Lucy’s heart ached for the other woman. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. 

Pushing to her feet, Lucy drifted closer, catching Cat’s elbow and gently turning the older woman to face her. “I’m sorry, Cat. I’m sorry for all of this…”

Cat shook her head. “I can’t get behind any plan that puts Kara at risk.”

“The longer my father is out there, the more likely he’ll do a lot worse than out Kara’s identity. And we don’t know that Max will spill the beans. If you have the goods on him…”

“I do,” Cat growled. “I have enough on Maxwell Lord to see him stuffed in a hole so deep not even the worms will find him.”

Lucy’s eyebrows lifted at the description. “Then he’ll know it’s in his best interest to keep quiet. He hasn’t said anything so far. Honestly, I think Alex scares the shit out of him.”

Glancing at her then, Cat’s lips lifted ever so slightly at the thought. “Fine,” she sighed. “When do I talk to him?”

“Alex will handle the…”

“Like hell,” Cat snapped. “Either I ensure Max’s silence about Kara or no deal.”

“Cat…” Lucy began, settling her hands on her hips as she prepared for a long, drawn out battle with the other woman. “You’re not in a position to dictate terms.” 

Cat stepped closer, her eyes flinty, and Lucy swallowed, surprised to be intimidated by this woman. Cat’s power radiated off her, silencing Lucy’s protests.

“My career and the woman I love are on the line. As much as I trust Alex, I’m not relinquishing my hold over either of those things to a second party. You want my help again, Baby Lane? I negotiate with Max personally.”


	22. Chapter 22

The scent of wood smoke was strong on the faint breeze as Kara drew in a slow, aching breath. Hope, so fragile and fleeting as of late, seemed to flee from her entirely.

Kara swallowed, lowering her head as she sat on the back steps of the cabin. Alex was by her side, their shoulders brushing as her sister let Kara digest the plan she’d shared. Alex likely hated it as much as Kara did, perhaps even more, but if Alex was sinking so low as to recruit Maxwell Lord, they must really be at rock bottom.

“Say something,” Alex pleaded softly, her features sad and anxious.

Kara shook her head. “What’s there to say? I don’t trust him, Alex.”

“I don’t, either. That’s why Lucy is talking to Cat. We’ve had a plan of mutually assured destruction in place for months, but I want Max to know we’re serious, that my hand is on the button, and I’m willing to go nuclear if he even _thinks_ about hurting you.”

Smiling sadly, Kara sighed. “It’s not that I don’t see the merits of your plan. I just…”

“I know.” Alex reached out, tangling their fingers together and Kara welcomed her touch, her reassurance. “I don’t want him anywhere near you. Near any of us. But he’s the one person we have a shot of using to lure Lane out.”

“Yeah. Of course he is,” Kara muttered before she closed her eyes, trying to muster an ounce of optimism, but she was too weary to find any. If Max betrayed them, if he outed her identity… Kara sucked down another aching breath. She’d lose Cat, and that was worse than anything else Max might do to her.

“Kara, I’m sorry…”

“I know.” Kara looked up at Alex and gave her a weak smile. “I’m not blaming you, Alex. You’re just trying to save us all.”

“Hell of a job I’m doing of it,” Alex grumbled, raking a hand through her hair and bowing her head.

“Hey.” Kara wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’m not saying I don’t get it. It… it makes sense. I’m just…”

“Scared of losing Cat,” Alex guessed, and Kara was heartened to know Alex was considering the full impact of this plan. It also meant Alex saw no other way.

“Yeah,” Kara said again. “These past few days with her… finally admitting how we feel… I don’t know if I could survive losing her.”

“It’s not going to come to that. And if Max reveals the truth about you? We’ll figure something out. I won’t let this ruin the two of you if I can do anything about it.”

“What’s Lucy say?”

“She’s about as enthusiastic as you are, but I promise you Kara, no one hates the idea of working with Max more than me.” 

Kara believed her. “I just want this over. I just want to go home.” She laid her head on her sister’s shoulder, and Alex settled her cheek on Kara’s hair.

“Me too,” Alex sighed. “Think Cat will go for this?”

“Guess we’ll find out.”

****

They were all gathered in the living room, a fire crackling cheerfully in the fireplace, but the mood was decidedly hostile. Susan looked like she would fall asleep in her chair if it wasn’t for all the yelling, while Lucy and Kara looked on from the couch, watching a battle of wills that showed no signs of ending anytime soon.

“No. No way.” Alex shook her head. “You need to let us handle the details, Cat.”

“Need I remind you, Agent Danvers,” Cat said in a low tone as Alex winced at the formal title, “who handled all the ‘details’ about your raid on the black site? About the release of the information on General Lane? In journalism, the devil is in the details, and he and I are quite well acquainted.”

“I’m not questioning your abilities,” Alex began patiently as the two women faced off. “I know Max. I know how he operates. I can tell when he’s up to something.”

“I’ve known him far longer than you, Alex,” Cat snapped. “I dated the man for a time.”

Kara’s features contorted in distaste. “Did not need to know that,” she muttered under her breath, shooting Lucy a look when the shorter woman laid a hand on Kara’s back and rubbed soothing circles.

“We’re talking about Kara’s life,” Cat continued as Kara watched her pace, her stomach aching as the two women she loved most argued over her. “Not just as Supergirl, but as Kara. Are you really willing to throw that away?”

“I’m trying to save Kara’s life,” Alex snarled. “And if that means getting into bed with Maxwell Lord, I’ll do it.”

“Could we maybe not use those kinds of metaphors?” Lucy murmured, as unamused as Kara at the thought of either woman cozying up to Max. 

“Max will turn on you in a second if he sees the opportunity to do so,” Cat warned them all. She turned and paced away from Alex, lingering by the fire. As upset as she was, Kara still found her beautiful as the reflection of the flames flickered over Cat’s features. 

The computer chimed behind them and Vasquez sat up a little straighter, studying the results as she tapped through a few commands one-handed. Kara glanced back at her, trying to read if their project had paid off.

Alex sighed. “Look. The last thing I want to do is jeopardize Kara’s identity, which puts the rest of my family at risk as well,” she pointed out. “And I get it, Cat. I get that you and Kara are new, and you have your lives ahead of you together, and you’re scared. You’re scared you’re going to lose that. But right now, this plan is all we have to keep Kara alive. To keep all of us alive. We need Max. He can lure the general out so we can end this.”

“Maybe we won’t need him.”

Everyone in the room turned and looked at Vasquez. Kara drew in a deep breath, almost afraid to hope. “Did it work?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I had to search on a few different frequencies, but it finally hit on one.”

Alex frowned. “Search for what?”

Scrambling to her feet, Kara came around the sofa and fell into the chair next to Vasquez, studying the monitors. “Vegas, of course,” she muttered.

“You feeling lucky?” Susan asked with a faint grin Kara returned.

Cat came closer, sliding her hands protectively over Kara’s shoulders. “What are you two up to?”

“The Omegahedron, the power source Lord used for the lasers,” Susan explained. “Kara thought Lane might be using one to power a bunker off the grid. I used the list of materials Max emailed you several days ago, did a scan for some elements and energy signatures cross-referenced with the list Hernandez gave us, and bam! General Lane’s hideout.”

“Hernandez?” Lucy asked, frowning as she glanced at Alex, and Kara thought her sister looked a little like she’d swallowed a bug.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Alex promised, clearing her throat. She eased closer to the monitors, laying her palms on the table next to Kara as she studied the satellite imagery. “How do we know this isn’t another laser?”

“Because it’s on,” Susan explained. “The bunker is drawing power from it. The lasers are a one-and-done deal, Ma’am.”

“But they’ll have one,” Cat said, her grip tightening on Kara. “There’s no way they won’t.”

They all sat there in silence, thinking.

“I want to go in there.” Kara was the first to speak. 

“Kara…”

“I can avoid radar, Alex. Fly low. Take the facility out.”

Lucy stirred at the description, but her green eyes were focused intently on the screens.

“I’ll do everything I can to take your father into custody, Lucy,” Kara told her. “You have my word.”

Nodding, Lucy gave Kara a flicker of a grateful smile. “It’s more than he deserves.”

“I’m not doing it for him,” Kara promised, and Lucy’s smile got a little wider.

“Not sure I like this plan any better,” Cat muttered.

Alex stood, her hands resting on her hips as she weighed the new information. “Okay,” she said slowly. “We’ll play this your way. I’ll call up the remaining agents, have them deploy to that location. But…” Alex added as Kara got to her feet. “We still have Max on stand-by. A lot can go wrong out there in the desert. We don’t know what kind of safety measures they have in place for you, Kara. I want to make sure we don’t lose any ground if the general slips through our fingers. Hell, he might not even be in there.”

Kara glanced at Cat, their gazes holding for a timeless moment before Kara reluctantly nodded. “Then Cat can handle Max. You deal with the D.E.O.”

Alex looked like she wanted to protest, but she pursed her lips, nodding once in agreement at the division of responsibilities. She glanced at Cat.

“It won’t be a problem,” Cat said tightly, and Kara didn’t miss the wordless concern that passed between them. Concern for her. It made her feel both loved and like a burden. 

Cat walked away, and Kara watched her go until she felt Alex nudge her with her elbow.

“What?”

Alex dipped her head in the direction Cat had gone. “Talk to her. While there’s still time.”

“You okay with this?” Kara asked.

“I’m not okay with any of this,” Alex admitted. “But we have to do something. Taking out the general’s base of operations is a damn good place to start, especially since we’re running out of places to hide.”

Kara nodded. “Running isn’t really our style.”

A thin smile formed on Alex’s lips.

“No more running,” Kara declared. “It’s time for punching.”

“Not yet. Talking first.” Alex motioned down the hall, encouraging Kara to go after Cat. “Punching later.”

***** 

Cat closed her eyes when the door knob turned and jiggled. There was a moment of quiet before a loud snap made her flinch, and the door swung open.

“Really?” Kara asked plaintively. “You locked the door on me?”

“A symbolic gesture. One you seem to have ignored.” Cat sighed, focusing her attention on the woods beyond her window as Kara stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Kara came around the bed, hesitating at the foot of it as she looked at Cat. “I take it you’re mad at me?”

Cat said nothing. There were no words to accurately describe how she was feeling.

“Cat,” Kara whispered, pleading.

Swallowing thickly, Cat took an unsteady breath. “Not mad. Terrified.”

Easing back on her heels, Kara absorbed that, caught off guard by Cat’s brutal honesty. A week ago, Cat would never have allowed Kara to see her like this, would have denied, even to herself, that she was capable of being this frightened, but everything was different now. Now Cat knew exactly what was at stake, how much she had to lose. 

Kara settled next to her, warm, real, and alive. “Me too,” she admitted.

“Why can’t we just wait?” Cat snapped, the CEO momentarily replacing the frightened woman in love. “Wait for the police and the military to do their jobs?”

“We could,” Kara said slowly. “But if that doesn’t happen quickly, Lane can rebuild his resources, create more weapons, cause more harm. I can’t let him do that, Cat.” 

Logically, Cat knew Kara and the others were right, but her heart wasn’t terribly interested in logic at the moment. 

“I was going to leave CatCo after Myriad, take a leave of absence, but I kept making excuses to stay. Three guesses what all the excuses had in common.” Cat glanced at Kara, finding blue eyes wide with shock. Cat wrenched her gaze away, focused it back on the woods. “I didn’t go to Europe just to check in with my other CatCo holdings. I was…” She clenched her jaw, unable to admit the truth. 

“You were running away,” Kara realized suddenly. “Making arrangements…” She swallowed hard, her throat rippling. “And now you’re in this hell because you didn’t get away from me fast enough...”

“For God’s sake.” Cat got to her feet, her hands gripping her hips as she glared down at the younger woman. “That is not the moral to the story, Kara.”

“But you were what, days… hours… away from escaping all this? You could have been safe…”

“Do you have any idea how it makes me feel to love you?”

Kara stared at her.

“ _Alive._ You are the one person in my life I trust completely. The one person I can be completely honest with, be the real me with, and know that’s enough. I’m safe with you. I’m whole with you. I’m more alive and apart of this world with you, Kara.”

“Cat…” 

“And I am scared to death that I am going to lose you in a matter of hours. I’m scared to death that I waited too long to be with you, and now this handful of days is all we’ll get. I’m not mad at you,” Cat said again. “I’m mad at _me_ … and I just wish… I just wish it didn’t have to be you to save the day this time. This one time, that it didn’t have to be you.”

“It doesn’t,” Kara said softly, unexpectedly. “I can send Clark.”

Cat’s breath hitched. “You… you would do that?” she asked in surprise.

The younger woman took a deep breath and nodded. “I want to do this, Cat. I’d go so far to say I _need_ to do this, but…” Kara looked out the window, gathering her thoughts, “but… it’s not just me, anymore, is it?” She met Cat’s gaze again. “It’s us now, and I need to remember that, honor that.” Kara got to her feet, moving closer. “I love being Supergirl, but I love you more. I’ll never put on the cape again if you ask me to.”

Cat closed the scant distance between them, kissing Kara soundly. “I love you,” she whispered fiercely when they parted.

“I love you too.”

Cat cupped Kara’s cheek, her thumb stroking the warm skin reverently. “I’m not going to stop you, but it means everything to know you would stay if I asked you to.”

Kara leaned into her touch. “And I’ll do everything in my power to come back to you.”

“I know.” Cat smiled through her tears. “I’m holding you to that. We have Disneyland to visit after all.”

Kara’s lips twitched upward. “Rao, I love you,” she said again, her own tears falling. “Whatever happens, don’t ever doubt that, okay?” 

Cat kept smiling, but it was brittle, afraid.

“I’m not dying today,” Kara promised her with feeling. “Not with so much here to live for.”

****

“You okay?”

Lucy started at Alex’s voice, jarred out of her dark thoughts. She turned as Alex leaned against the counter, watching her carefully. Just her presence made Lucy feel steadier, more focused. She grinned faintly before finishing off the glass of water she’d retreated to the kitchen to fetch, setting the glass in the sink. “I’m a mess, honestly.”

“Me too,” Alex admitted with a weary grin but her eyes were sharp on Lucy’s. “This can’t be easy for you.”

“It’s not, but it has to be done. The agents on their way?”

Alex nodded. “If I’m ordering the rest of the D.E.O. agents into a trap, I don’t…” She swallowed and took a breath, shaking her head a little. “I don’t know how you and J’onn do this all the time. Order people potentially to their deaths.”

“One of the hardest parts of the job,” Lucy agreed. “But it’s always helped me knowing how damn good the agents are under my command.” She reached out, tugging on the hem of Alex’s sweater. “One in particular.”

Alex smirked, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Kara meant what she said. She’ll do everything she can to take your father into custody. I believe that.”

“What would you do? If it were you?” Lucy asked.

Drawing in a deep breath, Alex let it out slowly. “I would take the opportunity to make him regret everything he did to you,” she admitted. “To the D.E.O. To Kara. But I wouldn’t kill him.”

“Because that’s not justice?”

“Because he’s your father, and despite all he’s done, some part of you still loves him.”

Lucy stepped closer, sliding her arms around Alex’s waist and resting her head against Alex’s chest. Warm arms enveloped her, holding her tightly. “It would be easier, though,” she whispered, confessing what was weighing on her most.

“What would be?”

“If he died.”

Alex’s fingers drifted gently through her hair and Lucy closed her eyes. “No one would blame you for wishing he would, Lucy.”

“I… I just can’t tell if I feel that way because I’m learning to hate him, or if it’s just because it would solve so many problems…”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re entitled to be angry, entitled to want this whole ordeal over.”

Lucy nodded. “Sorry. Just…”

“Don’t apologize. We’re all… we’re all feeling pretty damaged by everything that’s happened. I feel… darker, heavier than I did before all this started.”

“Yeah,” Lucy breathed. “Suppose I should order mandatory counseling for all of us. If I keep my job…” 

“If they let you go, I’ll go with you,” Alex vowed. “That wouldn’t be the organization I signed on to work for.”

Lucy grinned faintly. “My knight in shining armor.”

Alex snorted.

“You are,” Lucy promised, tipping her head back to look into Alex’s eyes. “I think you might single-handedly be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Alex’s eyelashes fluttered as she blinked in surprise. “You’re drastically overselling me.”

“Nope.” 

Shaking her head, Alex was helpless to keep her own smile from forming. “I’m kinda falling in love with you here, Major,” she said softly.

The words lightened Lucy’s soul, banishing enough of the darkness for now. “Likewise, Agent Danvers.” She leaned up on tiptoe, kissing Alex softly. “Now tell me what Mia Hernandez has to do with all this.”

Alex winced.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but hopefully a good one. :) Thanks as always to zennie for the advice and edits!

“Well, well. A call from Cat Grant. What did I do right to earn this? Or did I do something wrong? One never knows with you, Cat.”

“Max,” Cat drawled, weary of him already. She paced the bedroom, the walls seemingly closing in as she counted down the minutes to Kara’s departure. “This isn’t a social call.”

“Worth noting, isn’t it,” Max continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “that your girl hasn’t been seen over the skies of National City for over a week now. What’s the inside scoop, Cat? Surely the Queen of All Media knows more than…”

“Max,” Cat growled. “No games. No weak repartee. I don’t have the time or the inclination.”

Max was quiet for a moment, and Cat briefly savored the satisfaction of having so effectively shut him up. “All right,” he murmured. “Our history has earned you that, but can I assume this call is about Supergirl?”

“You can.”

“Do you know where she is? What’s happening?”

“I do.” Cat took a breath, looking across the room into Kara’s blue eyes as she emerged from the en-suite, her super suit vivid in the gray afternoon light filtering in through the windows. Cat had missed that sight, and it was the first time she’d seen Kara as Supergirl since they’d become intimate. She had to admit it gave her a little thrill.

“Not going to share?”

“I’m going to do you one better. I’m going to lay our cards on the table.”

“I’m intrigued.”

“And I’m going to make myself clear from the get-go, Max. If you think the public flogging your friend General Lane is taking in the press is bad, it won’t hold a candle to what I will do to you if you cross me.”

“So it’s that kind of phone call is it”? Max murmured. “Huh. I always knew you were keeping tabs on me, Cat. I’m flattered.”

“You would be.” Cat rolled her eyes and Kara smiled weakly. “Let’s begin with the fact that Supergirl and Kara Danvers are under my protection.” Cat stared at Kara possessively and Kara’s smile got a little wider.

“So you _do_ know.” Max chuckled in delight. “I wondered…”

“If you do anything to harm, threaten, or undermine her, I will bury you. Your arrangement with the D.E.O. has kept you quiet for now, but I promise you, whatever they have on you pales in comparison to how thoroughly I will _end_ you, Max.”

“Now wait a minute,” he started to protest.

“I have enough to lock you away for life,” Cat told him as she drew closer to Kara, drawn to her as always. “Enough to sic the military after you so you disappear into some deep, dark hole never to be seen again. Enough to send your investors fleeing and your stocks tanking into negative territory.”

“You’ve made your point,” Max said tightly. “I always suspected you had a… soft spot… for the Girl of Steel.” He sighed. “So what is it you want that you would actually stoop so low as to blackmail me? This call lacks your usual finesse.”

Kara closed the remaining distance between them, reaching out to gently palm Cat’s jaw in wordless comfort, her thumb stroking Cat’s skin.

“I need your help.”

“You want me to lure him out,” Max guessed, and Cat had to admit he was no fool.

Cat kept her eyes on Kara, comforted by her presence, the strength and beauty of her. This soul was one Cat would kill and die to protect. Blackmail was nothing. “Yes.”

Max was quiet a moment, thinking, and Cat let his brilliant brain sort through the angles. While she waited, Cat toyed with the fabric of Kara’s cape where it spilled over the hero’s shoulder.

“Fair enough. He might actually come if I called. Can I assume you’re working with Agent Danvers?”

“You can.”

“May I speak with her?”

“She’s a little busy right now. Maybe later,” Cat said dryly. Kara smirked.

“Lane doesn’t fully trust me, and I sure as hell don’t trust him. What he did to the D.E.O., what he could do to National City…” Max sighed. “I’ll help you, but because it’s the right thing to do, Cat. Besides, your girl saved the world a few months ago. I figure I owe her one.”

Kara rolled her eyes, hearing every word. 

“You’ll pardon me if I don’t take you at your word,” Cat muttered.

“A good journalist always needs proof. You’ll get yours if it comes to it.”

“Then we have a deal?” Cat asked.

“I don’t really have a choice in the matter, now do I? But sure. We have a deal. I’ll expect Danvers to call when my… services… will be required. Have a nice day, Cat.” He disconnected.

“I really hate that guy,” Kara muttered, but she smiled faintly. “Is it wrong that listening to you boss Max around was kinda hot?”

Cat tossed her phone on the bed before turning her attention back on her lover. “I rather enjoyed it myself,” she confessed, staring softly at Kara. “You seem so different in this.” Her hands slid down Kara’s arms, enjoying the texture of the suit and the flex of muscle beneath it.

“It’s the glasses,” Kara joked.

Cat smiled timidly. “Max was right about one thing.” She laid her hand on Kara’s family crest. “I do have a soft spot for the Girl of Steel.”

Kara grinned. “She’s got one for you too.”

****

Stepping outside behind Kara, Alex took a breath of the cool air, knowing in minutes her sister would be facing a totally different landscape, the trees giving way to the heat and grit of the desert. She hated this, every fiber of her being wanting to hold on to Kara, to keep her safe.

Kara turned around, and they stared at each other for a moment. She’d already said all her goodbyes, all except this one. “Alex…”

“Wish I could go with you.” It was killing Alex to stay behind, to let Kara go in there and face Lane alone. It never mattered how powerful and capable her sister was, Alex always wanted to protect her from the world. 

“Want me to punch the general for you?” Kara asked, trying to keep the heavy moment bearably lighter. “I’m sure Lucy would forgive me.”

Alex grinned weakly, and Kara did the same. 

“I’ll be okay,” Kara promised. “And if I’m not…” She sighed. “This is my choice. I need to do this, Alex.”

“I know,” Alex said quietly. “If I had your powers, I’d do the same thing.” She stepped closer, resting her hands on her sister’s powerful shoulders. “Just… keep your head down, okay? Let the agents handle things. You’re the distraction and backup, Kara. Those agents need this as much as you do.”

Kara nodded.

“And…” Alex swallowed, wanting to say so much but unable to find the words. “Stay as low as you can on the way there. I don’t think Lane would fire a laser into the public, but let’s not tempt him. Stay off their radar.”

“I will. Listen… I…”

Alex cupped Kara’s face in her palms and their gazes met, communicating everything they couldn’t bring themselves to say. “No goodbyes,” Alex said in a strained voice. “Our story doesn’t end here. You’re going to fly in there and kick Lane’s ass and then we’re going home. You hear me?”

Slowly, Kara smiled. “I hear you.”

Alex kissed her on the forehead and let her go. Stepping back, pretending this moment was insignificant, just another routine op, was the hardest thing she’d ever done. “See you soon.”

Kara stared at her for a moment longer before nodding once.

The wind was cold in Kara’s wake as she leapt for the sky and disappeared, a blur of blue and red in the gray. Alex struggled to take a deep breath, to school her features into a calm certainty she didn’t feel. When her emotional armor was significantly settled back in place, she yanked the door open and stepped back inside.

“Team is nearly in position, Ma’am,” Vasquez said, all business, and for once, Alex was grateful for the title.

Cat and Lucy glanced at Alex as she made her way closer. 

“Supergirl should be in place in a few minutes,” Lucy told her. Her vivid green eyes captured Alex whole, silently communicating sympathy and strength in equal measure. They nodded at one another.

“Let’s get this nightmare over with,” Alex told them, settling her palms on the table next to Susan, her eyes sharp on the monitors as Alex Danvers the sister gave way to Alex Danvers the agent. It was the only way she could get through this.

****

The desert heat shimmered over the sand, blurring Kara’s view as she stared at the deceptive buttes camouflaging the general’s bunker ahead. The temperature was hot enough she could faintly detect it through the soles of her boots as she considered her options. Flying right through the front door would work, but she wanted something big, something that made a statement. Maybe something for the cameras the D.E.O. agents were pointing at the bunker. 

“Something showy,” Kara decided with a spreading grin, figuring she’d give Cat an exclusive while she was at it.

“What was that, Supergirl?” Alex asked in her ear, amused.

“I’m in position,” Kara said a little more seriously, remembering too late her mic was open before she shifted restlessly from foot to foot, ready to finish this. None of them would rest until the general was in custody, and Kara wanted her life back, especially now that Cat was going to be a part of it.

“Can you see anything with your x-ray vision?”

Shaking her head, Kara sighed. “Not much.”

“Lined with lead?” Alex guessed. “You’re going in blind. Maybe we should…”

“We may not get another chance, Alex. We have to try. I have to try.” Alex wouldn’t like that answer, but Kara knew her sister enough to know Alex would understand.

“They’ve got a laser in there somewhere, Kara. They could have more red tornadoes.”

“I know,” Kara said quietly, ignoring the thread of unease curling in her stomach. She was more worried about how her sister and Cat were coping with what she was about to do. As anxious as she was to charge in there, to end all this, a part of her would have given almost anything to be with Cat and Alex right now. She swallowed past a growing lump in her throat, words straining to be said even if Alex wasn’t ready to hear them. “Alex… If something happens...”

“Kara… You once told me everything good you’ve done on this world was because I was your sister.”

Kara blinked, unexpected tears blurring her vision further at the ache in Alex’s tone. They’d been here before. Nearly six months ago they’d faced what Kara had been sure was goodbye only to get another chance, to get a little more time. She closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer to Rao this wasn’t the last time she’d hear her sister’s voice. “I meant every word. I still do.”

“I know, but that goes both ways. We’re stronger together. El mayara.”

Sucking down a deep breath, Kara’s hand came to rest over her crest and heart. “El mayara,” she whispered back, tears tracking through the sand and dirt on her features. “Alex…”

“I expect you to come home. We all expect you to come home. You hear me?”

Smiling through her tears, Kara nodded. “I hear you. But if I don’t… Everything I said during Myriad still stands, even though I think you’re closer to finding it now than ever. Lucy is good for you.”

“Kara…”

“And promise me,” Kara interrupted gently. “Promise me you’ll look after Cat and Carter.” 

Alex was quiet, and Kara suspected she wasn’t the only one struggling to let go. “I promise,” Alex murmured, a thread of steel in her tone even as her voice wavered with tears. “Agents are in position. You ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“Khao-shuh, Kara.”

Kara laughed even though it hurt. “You’ve been learning.”

“Trying to. Make sure you come back and teach me some more, okay?”

They lingered in the moment for as long as they dared.

“I love you, Alex.”

“I love you too.”

Drawing in a deep breath of the desert air, Kara let it out slowly. “All right,” she said, wiping away her tears. “Let’s do this so we can all go home.”

“How will the agents know to engage?” Alex asked.

The reminder of Myriad gave Kara an idea. “Oh, they’ll know. Just tell them to be ready for the doors to move.”

“Move?”

Kara smiled grimly. 

****


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to kick a little ass...

“General?” 

Lane hesitated as he passed through the command center, stepping over a few pieces of equipment still being installed to draw closer to the monitors. He set his half-finished cup of coffee on the desk in front of him. “What is it?” he demanded, hearing a note of concern in the operative’s voice.

“We have some company, Sir.” 

The operative punched up an exterior view of the bunker, and Lane frowned at the sight of the contingent of armed men taking up position around their entrances and exits.

“D.E.O. agents,” Lane sniffed. “What’s left of them.”

“How should we proceed, Sir?” 

“Frankly, I’m surprised they found us at all,” Lane huffed but he was faintly impressed. Danvers had surprised him again. Such a waste she worked for the other side. If the agents were there, then Supergirl couldn’t be far behind. He smiled. “Deploy strike teams to those locations. Wipe them out. And power up the laser. I suspect Supergirl will be dropping in soon. Perhaps we can wrap up a significant part of our operation without ever leaving the…” 

A low, powerful groan echoed through the bunker, and everyone went still.

“What the hell was that?” the operative muttered as Lane frowned.

The bunker abruptly shuddered, the floor vibrating and shifting beneath their feet. The whole structure whined in protest, a few rivets popping from the metal walls and pinging across the concrete.

Anger bloomed in Lane’s chest, followed swiftly by a burst of fear as his coffee mug vibrated across the desk and shattered on the floor at his feet. The ground lurched hard, throwing everything that wasn’t bolted down toward the left wall.

Toppling over, Lane skidded with loose equipment until he plowed into a console with bruising force. The operatives around him did the same, yelling in alarm as they slipped and slid, their world now rising and tilting around them. Thunderous cracks echoed through the structure, the butte falling away to expose the bunker beneath.

“Supergirl,” Lane hissed through his teeth.

“She’s under us!” someone shouted. 

Lane’s stomach plunged. The Girl of Steel had propelled Fort Rozz into space, and for a terrified moment, he wondered if she had it in her to kill them all, if he’d finally provoked the alien to show the magnitude of violence he’d long suspected her capable of. Then he seemed to float, weightless for a breathless moment, as the room tilted around him before everything slammed down with sickening force as the bunker was heaved onto the desert floor.

****

“Wow,” Lucy breathed as they watched the D.E.O. feeds of the bunker rising out of the desert, rocks, sand, and dirt sluicing off it, obscuring their view of Kara as she lifted the structure out of the earth and exposed it to the light. “That’s your girlfriend.”

Cat blinked at the thought, a small, proud smile on her lips. She couldn’t help but be awed at what she was witnessing. The woman who was so warm and soft wrapped around her in bed, whose hands knew Cat’s curves intimately, was lifting thousands of tons of concrete and steel toward the heavens. “Jealous?” Cat murmured and Lucy snorted in amusement. 

Susan let out a whoop of excitement as Kara dropped the whole structure, sending it tumbling onto the desert floor, shearing it in half as the D.E.O. agents bore down on it.

Alex pursed her lips, but as Cat glanced at her, she didn’t miss the barest trace of a twisted, pleased smile.

“Show off,” Alex muttered, finally letting a little more of a grin show.

“I did teach her how to make an entrance,” Cat said with a growing smile, but the gnawing in her gut wouldn’t go away until Kara was back in her arms. 

And that couldn’t be soon enough. 

****

Kara punched through the side of the bunker, landing undetected in an empty hallway. Alarms blared and emergency lights sputtered weakly as she glanced around, trying to get her bearings. Gunfire echoed throughout the building, the D.E.O. agents engaging the enemy, and Kara focused on the sound, moving toward it.

“Kara?” Alex’s voice was shot through with static.

“I’m inside,” Kara shouted. “The general’s team is going to need a new bunker,” she said with satisfaction, brushing some of the sand and dirt off her suit.

“So we saw,” Alex drawled. “Enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Kara shrugged one shoulder, a tiny grin forming. “Maybe a little.”

An operative rounded the corner, freezing when he saw her, before opening fire with his sidearm. Kara flattened her lips in annoyance and took a single step toward him before he spun and ran. “Damn right you better run,” she said under her breath.

Unnerved by the dark pleasure that rushed through her, Kara stalked down the hallway, her cape billowing behind her. Now it was their turn to know failure, to know fear, but worry niggled the back of her mind. It felt a little too good to inflict payback after all Lane and his men had done to the D.E.O. She’d lost control once before and men had possibly paid for it with their lives. Kara couldn’t let herself do it again, especially with her family’s legacy on her chest.

“I’m going to find the general.”

“Laser first,” Alex commanded. “We need to make sure that’s destroyed. Get to it before they try to use it.” 

Kara wanted to argue, but she clenched her jaw and followed her sister’s orders. “The agents?” she asked, making sure she wasn’t needed elsewhere.

“Holding their own,” Alex promised, a note of pride in her voice.

****

Stumbling over the destruction, Lane hurried as fast as he was able. Gunfire erupted close by, men shouting at one another, but he kept his head down, determined to make it to his destination. He had one last shot to stop the Kryptonians, to save his children and his planet. He wouldn’t give up.

Seething, Lane wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around Alex Danvers’ neck and squeeze. Her blind loyalty to an alien was going to get everyone killed or enslaved, and he was beginning to wonder if he should have taken her out discreetly before he’d even targeted the D.E.O. He could have eliminated his biggest opposition and left Supergirl devastated in the process.

If his backup plan succeeded, however, maybe he’d get to do just that. Lane wasn’t sure what would be more satisfying, making Danvers watch her sister die or vice versa.

The bunker groaned around him as he finally reached his office, shoving aside a bookcase to get through the door. Lane found what he was looking for quickly, pleased the devices had remained intact in his desk despite being tossed around and slammed into the wall. He slipped one into his pocket just as one of his operatives arrived, right on schedule.

“Sir,” the young man greeted, catching the other device as Lane tossed it to him.

“You ready for a promotion, son?” Lane asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

Supergirl might win the battle today, but Lane was still determined to win the war.

****

Alex watched the feeds, trying to keep her breathing steady. Firefights were becoming intermittent as more of Lane’s operatives were taken into custody, but so far the man himself had remained elusive.

So had Kara since her initial check-in. Alex clenched her jaw, itching to see even a flash of red and blue amongst the metal and rock of Lane’s bunker. It looked almost like the D.E.O. and Alex felt a strange sense of righteousness that Lane’s sanctuary had been destroyed by Kara’s hands. It was almost poetic. Alex just wished she was there at Kara’s side to inflict a little payback of her own.

She glanced at Lucy, making sure the other woman was holding it together. Lucy’s features were impassive. The major was doing her duty, leaving her emotions out of the equation, and Alex’s gaze lingered on her profile, more impressed than ever by Lucy Lane.

Sensing eyes on her, Lucy turned her head and their gazes met. She dipped her head, silently promising Alex she was okay, and Alex gave her a tight smile.

“Where is she?” Cat echoed Alex’s earlier thoughts as her gaze studied the monitors, searching for Kara. “Does she not understand the concept of checking in?” she asked archly.

Alex’s lips twitched and she tapped her earpiece. “Kara? Any luck?”

Silence and short bursts of static answered her, and Alex tried not to read anything into it.

Vasquez ripped off her makeshift sling, wincing as she brought her other arm up so she could type with both hands. She was tracking every agent, every feed, every moment of the general’s downfall, relaying commands to the team and the police that awaited nearby.

“Kara?” Alex said again, willing her sister to answer.

“-ser secure,” Kara’s voice cut in and out, but it was proof of life and that was enough. 

Cat shuddered minutely with relief as Lucy put a hand on her shoulder in wordless comfort.

Alex blew out the breath she’d been holding. “Say again?” 

“Laser is secure.” The reception was crisper now, and it sounded like wind was blowing across Kara’s mic. “Well, as secure as being thrown into space can get.”

Lucy snorted and shook her head, but some of the tension in her shoulders eased from her small frame. She looked at Alex, giving her a soft smile of encouragement that made the moment a little easier to bear.

“The power source…” Alex began.

“Removed. I knew you’d yell at me if I chucked the whole thing.”

The women around her all smiled as Alex shook her head. “Are you safe? Any sign of the general?”

“I’m okay,” Kara promised, “but the laser had kryptonite in it. There could be more inside.”

“There,” Lucy nearly shouted when she caught a glimpse of Kara’s cape on one of the feeds. The agent who’d seen her helpfully turned his head, his helmet camera showing Kara moving through a destroyed command center as several operatives were taken into custody. She tossed the power source at one of the agents before disappearing into a long hall.

Alex tapped the screen. “Whose camera is that?”

“Patterson,” Vasquez came back instantly, still on the ball despite being medicated and in pain.

Alex decided the woman was getting a promotion and a raise when this was over. “Give me his comms.” Vasquez nodded. “Patterson? Get another set of hands and go with Supergirl.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the agent replied, shouting an order to someone before he trotted after Kara.

Alex pursed her lips as she watched. Kara was coated with dirt and sand, but she still cut an imposing figure as she moved through the bunker. A burst of pride infused Alex’s chest, but she ached to have Kara’s back, to make sure she stayed safe.

They rounded another corner, and Alex lost sight of her sister, only to have her reappear a moment later as she was thrown back into the wall with a grunt of pain.

“Kara,” Cat breathed in fear.

****

“Get back,” Kara ordered the D.E.O. agents as she peeled herself out of the metal wall she’d just been slammed into. One of the agents disobeyed, peeking around the corner to see what had attacked her, and Kara resisted the inclination to yell, suspecting he was following Alex’s orders.

Anger ignited in her chest as Lane stomped toward her, encased in the kryptonite suite. She had no idea how he’d gotten his hands on it, but it hardly mattered. He’d just evened the odds. 

Again.

“Patterson,” Kara snapped. “Fall back.”

The agent obeyed this time, casting a worried glance at her.

“Kara…” Alex’s voice broke through. “Let the agents handle him.”

“No,” Kara said, standing tall, daring Lane to fight her, ignoring the growing weakness in her limbs the closer he got.

“Kara, he can kill you in that thing.” 

“He can try,” Kara spat, her hands balling into fists.

“Kara!” Cat yelled, and Kara felt her stomach drop at her voice, a flash of regret and apology sweeping through her before Lane smiled and attacked.

Grunting as Lane slammed into her, they both stumbled backward into the wall. Pain flared through Kara’s body, the sensation foreign and distracting. Lane swung out, catching her on the jaw and knocking her down.

“Is Danvers here or is she watching?” Lane snarled as he kicked Kara in the side, tossing her into the remains of the wall again. “I hope she’s watching, watching helplessly as I kill you.”

****

Sick, Lucy stared as Kara struggled to her feet, desperately trying to put some distance between herself and the suit, if only for a moment. Her father was bearing down on Kara again, and she had no illusions that he would kill the younger woman.

“Oh God,” Lucy whispered. She glanced toward Alex and Cat, both frozen in terror, their eyes glued to the monitors. All they could do was watch as the woman they loved fought to survive.

“Patterson,” Lucy snapped. “If you get a shot, take it.”

“But, Ma’am…” Patterson murmured.

“Take it!” Lucy insisted, knowing full well that she’d just likely condemned her father to death.

****

The metal on the suit dug uncomfortably into her skin, but Kara shifted like Alex had taught her, throwing her elbow into Lane’s face as hard as she could. His head snapped back and blood spurted from his nose as it broke under the blow.

The D.E.O. agents held back, guns raised, watching as Supergirl pivoted again and threw a straight punch at Lane’s face, connecting solidly with his right eye. He stumbled back, trying to get his feet under him.

“The first one was for the D.E.O. That one was for my sister,” Kara spat, her knuckles throbbing. Sweat broke out on her skin, trickling down her back as she stalked after him. He kicked out, buckling her leg and she went down, pain flashing through her knee, but anger gave her strength the kryptonite couldn’t steal. 

Lane scrambled on top of her, pressing his advantage, but Kara swung again, connecting hard with his chin even as one of his hands wrapped around her throat, her skin shrieking in agony as the kryptonite burned. “And that one is for Lucy,” she snarled.

His grip tightened, and Kara saw stars. Fumbling for the collar of his suit, Kara couldn’t quite reach, but then a single gunshot echoed in the space and Lane jerked back, his grip loosening just enough for Kara to surge upward. Her hand closed over the collar, the skin searing as it met a wide swath of kryptonite, but her she held on, yelling in pain as she found the switch and shut the suit off.

Her powers bloomed through her, and Kara took a deep breath as Lane came at her again, determined to finish her off. She modulated her strength at the last moment, having initially intended it as a killing blow, striking him in the face with just enough force to send him off her and slamming onto the floor. He didn’t get back up.

Patterson grabbed her by the shoulders, dragging her a safe distance from Lane. Darkly, Kara wondered who the agent was trying to protect.

“Kara?” Alex demanded, her voice shaky. “Are you okay?”

Kara swallowed, glancing down at her knuckles as they slowly healed before her eyes. “I’m okay.”

She wasn’t sure if that was the truth or a lie.

****

Standing in the dying rays of the day, Kara watched with grim satisfaction as Lane was loaded into a police SUV. He had a superficial gunshot wound to the shoulder, the suit having largely protected him, but he was still dazed from Kara’s last punch. At least she hadn’t killed him, even though she’d desperately wanted to.

Lane would be escorted to a nearby prison under guard until he could be taken into military custody in a few hours. His arrest should have made Kara feel triumphant and relieved, but she only felt hollow. So much death and darkness had spun out from his hatred of her, and now she was tainted with it.

The general glared at her, his face bruised and swollen, and Kara crossed her arms and glared back. Patterson nodded at her as he emerged from the remains of the bunker, the last agent out. A small contingent would remain throughout the night to secure the structure, but the rest were escorting the prisoners to a larger facility in Las Vegas for processing.   

It was over.

So why didn’t it feel like it?

Kara watched Patterson scramble into the back of the truck with some of the other agents. It roared to live and moved out a few moments later.

“Hey.” Alex’s voice in her ear almost startled her, but the sound of it banished some of Kara’s darker thoughts. 

Kara took a deep breath. “Yeah?” she asked softly, the night and quiet of the desert spilling over her.

“Come home.”

Lingering, Kara was strangely hesitant to leave. She glanced back at the bunker, frowning as the SUV drove away, a Humvee with five D.E.O. agents inside quickly followed, leaving her nearly alone. “This doesn’t feel finished, Alex.”

“Come home, Kara.”

****

The air was cold and dry as the truck rumbled away. Agent Patterson stared at Supergirl’s form until he lost sight of her, turning the angry glint in his eyes on the agents around him. He said nothing as they all congratulated themselves on a job well done.

He fingered the device in his pocket, a small smile coming to his lips. Hopefully he’d hidden the real Patterson’s body well enough that it wouldn’t be uncovered for several hours. By then, it would be too late to stop him from finishing Supergirl once and for all.


	25. Chapter 25

Susan slowly slipped her sling back on, grimacing a little at the pain throbbing dully in her chest and shoulder. Tired, she fumbled with the strap, starting in surprise when Alex stepped wearily out of the kitchen to help her adjust it. “Thanks.”

“You did good today, Susan,” Alex told her. “But now you need to rest that shoulder. Take the pain meds. Doctor’s orders.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Susan turned to face Alex, more than a little concerned by how exhausted Alex appeared. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

Alex stared at her for a moment before stepping forward, drawing Susan into a gentle hug. “Thank you.”

Susan was mortified to feel the burn of tears. She blinked them away, returning the embrace with one arm and patting Alex on the back awkwardly. Stepping back, she gave Alex a shy smile. “My pleasure, Ma’am.”

“With any luck, we’ll get the all clear, and we can use the healing device to fix you up tomorrow.”

“That sounds… freaking awesome,” Susan confessed, and Alex chuckled. For a moment, Susan stared, marveling a little at the agent. Alex had achieved the impossible today, finding a way to take Lane down even on the run. Not that Alex didn’t have help, but she’d held them all together, kept them all as safe as she possibly could. Susan’s admiration for Alex Danvers was already through the roof. Today had pushed it into the stratosphere.

“You’ve arranged a car?” 

Susan nodded. “Should be here in about three hours. Had to pay extra for the late delivery to such a remote location.”

“President Marsden can put it on my tab,” Alex said dryly.

“Speaking of the President, she passed along her regards. She’s delaying Homeland Security to give you and Major Lane a chance to talk to the general first. Bought you a few hours at least.”

“Good.” Alex nodded and sighed. 

“You sure the major is up for this?” Susan asked, wondering if Alex was either but refraining from saying so. “Not sure I could face him if I were in her shoes.”

“Lucy’s tough,” Alex said, respect heavy in her tone. “And she needs this. She needs to confront him so she can move on.” She glanced down the hall where Lucy was in their room, gathering a few things together. There was no telling how long she’d be in custody.

“I’m wired in, Alex,” Susan murmured, sensing her concern. “I’ll be able to keep tabs on you both once Lucy hands herself in. Anything looks fishy, I’ll send in your sister to kick ass.”

Alex grinned weakly. “You’re getting a promotion out of this, Susan.”

“Ma’am?” Susan blurted in surprise as Alex turned, heading outside.

“And a raise. A big one if I have anything to say about it.” Alex shoved open the door and stepped out into the night.

“Hot damn,” Susan muttered. 

****

The cold, damp night sunk into Alex’s aching bones. She zipped her jacket up to her chin, shivering slightly as she glanced up through the thinning trees at the explosion of stars overhead. They were vivid here, no light pollution to cloak their beauty. She tucked her hands into her pockets to keep them warm, her breath fogging in the darkness. 

Alex jumped when Kara landed behind her, a cloud of leaves blowing into the air before drifting lazily down, rustling softly as they scraped over Alex’s coat and hair. 

“Sorry,” Kara drawled, not sounding apologetic at all. She stepped forward and swept Alex into her arms, holding her tightly. She was warm, solid, and alive, and Alex clung to her with all the strength she had left, relieved.

“Sure you are,” Alex muttered but she breathed her sister in with a smile, ignoring the dampness of her suit where Kara had flown back along the coast. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Kara said hesitantly. “But…”

“I know.” Alex leaned back, her soul settling as she met the blue of Kara’s eyes in the weak porch light. “Doesn’t feel real somehow.”

Kara shook her head. “I watched them drive off with Lane in that SUV with an armed guard. His collaborators have been arrested. His base of operations is destroyed. Why can’t I shake the feeling we’re not done?”

“Probably for the same reason I can’t either. Feels like we’ve been waging this war forever.” Alex swallowed, unease sitting cold and leaden in her stomach. Her instincts were syncing with Kara’s on this, though, and Alex knew better to ignore them.

“We’re missing something.” Kara must have guessed Alex’s thoughts, but Alex shook her head.

“If Lane has a failsafe plan, we’ll learn about it soon enough.” Alex tried not to think about it, wanting to relish the day’s victory after so many setbacks. “Lucy and I are taking the SUV. I’ve arranged transport to the prison in Nevada so I can oversee Lane’s handoff to the NSA and Homeland Security, and Lucy…” Alex sighed.

“Lucy has some things to say to her dad before she turns herself over for questioning,” Kara guessed. “Don’t blame her. I was tempted to say a few things to him myself.”

“I think punching him in the face repeatedly got your message across.”

Kara’s mouth twisted to suppress a smile, but she looked pleased nevertheless. “Jealous?”

“You have no idea.”

Kara let the smile come then. “I gave him a black eye for you.”

“And I appreciate it. It’s just not as satisfying as giving it to him myself.” Alex stared at her sister in the relative darkness. “I’m proud of you, even though you scared the hell out me more than once out there today.”

“Scared myself a few times,” Kara admitted, but she waved off Alex’s frown of concern. “Later,” Kara promised, meaning it. “You want me to go with you?”

Reluctant to let the comment go, Alex accepted they were both too worn out to tackle it tonight “No. Susan ordered a car to meet you here in a few hours. Cat’s making arrangements for a flight back. You stayed low coming out of there, right?”

“Yeah. Until we’re sure all the lasers have been secured, I’ll be flying low for a while.”

“Good girl,” Alex teased, hugging Kara again just because she could. “By this time tomorrow, you’ll be back in National City.”

It was Kara’s turn to sigh, and Alex didn’t miss the longing for home in the sound. “You’re going to stay with Lucy, aren’t you?” 

Alex took a deep breath before she stepped back. “I can’t… let her out of my sight again, Kara. Not after what Lane did. I’ll pull every string and cash in every marker to stay as close as I can through all this.”

“You’re falling hard,” Kara teased gently.

Rolling her eyes, a smile still ghosted over Alex’s lips as warmth bloomed in her chest. “Maybe.”

“You picked a good one.”

“Gotta keep my promises to my sister, right?”

Tears glistened in Kara’s eyes, but Alex knew they were happy ones for a change. “You better,” Kara mumbled a moment later, stepping back from the growing intensity between them. “You called Lois?”

“Cat is on the phone with her now.” Alex smiled knowingly. “Speaking of Cat…”

Kara grinned. “Be careful, okay?” 

“You too.”

****

“It’s over? We’re sure?”

Cat leaned back against the headboard. She’d finally stopped shaking maybe an hour ago, and now that the fear and adrenaline were wearing off, she longed for sleep and Kara’s warm, solid body wrapped around her to keep the nightmares at bay. “As sure as we can be. Alex and your sister are leaving for Nevada now. Lucy wants to confront your father before turning herself in for questioning.”

“How can I get in on that action?” Lois wondered. “God, maybe I’ll finally sleep tonight.” She was quiet a moment. “Will Alex stick with Luce when she’s taken into custody?”

“I’d like to see anyone try to wedge them apart,” Cat muttered dryly. Watching Lucy and Alex grow closer the last few days had been both sweet and worrisome. She wished today marked the end of the heartache for the pair, but they still had a bit more to wade through before they came out the other side.

“Yeah?” Lois asked, the faintest trace of a smile in her voice.

“Mmm. Lucy is in good hands.” 

Alex Danvers would move heaven and earth to stay by Lucy’s side. Cat was certain of that fact. Few people impressed her, but Cat had been surrounded by impressive women for the last several days. A part of her would strangely miss all this. 

“I made a few calls,” Lois confessed. “Made sure those agencies knew the full might of the nation’s press would be watching.”

“You and me?” Cat huffed. “We’re the full might?”

“Bitches get stuff done,” Lois reminded her, and Cat chuckled. 

“I suppose we do have both coasts covered.”

“That we do.” Lois was quiet again. “Cat… listen...”

“Don’t go getting soft on me now, Lane,” Cat murmured, her throat tightening with emotion.

“Thank you,” Lois said anyway, and the depth of gratitude in her voice made Cat bite her lip. “For what it’s worth… it’s been kinda fun working with you again.”

“Well, the offer still stands. You can always come to CatCo.”

“And have you boss me around?”

“Don’t pretend, Lois. We both know you’d like it.”

Lois laughed, and Cat welcomed the sound. It felt like a touch of normal when normal had been in very short supply as of late. They’d all been bruised and battered by all of this, but in that moment, Cat knew they’d be okay.

“Have Susan text me when they hear from Luce and Alex?” Lois asked.

“Of course.”

“Thanks,” Lois said again. “And hug Kara for me.”

Cat smiled, looking forward to it. “I think I can manage that. Look for the CatCo exclusive tomorrow on Supergirl saving the day.”

“I’ll do that.”

They said their goodbyes and Cat hung up. Setting her phone on the nightstand, Cat finally closed her eyes, drinking in the peace and quiet, the utter stillness that had come with Lane’s defeat. She was nearly asleep when the bed dipped, warmth washing over her as she caught a whiff of sand and surf. Her lips curved in the beginning of a smile only to have a soft mouth cover her own.

Her hands trailed over familiar curves, the texture of Kara’s supersuit an intriguing sensation under her fingertips. Cat kissed her back hungrily, threading her hands in Kara’s thick, damp hair, savoring being reunited, safe, and in love.

Cat opened her eyes to find the blue of the ocean looking back at her. Kara smiled, and just like that, all was well in Cat’s world. “About time, Supergirl.”

“Everybody’s a critic.”

Cat’s anxiety and fears slowly fled with Kara’s very warm and real presence. “I promised Lois she’d see the D.E.O. footage of you lifting Lane’s bunker out of the ground tomorrow. Exclusively on CatCo media outlets, of course.”

“Of course.” Kara kept smiling at her, love heavy in her gaze. “Why do you think I showed off a little?”

“A little?” Cat tsked. “We need to work on your subtly.”

Kara shifted, slowly sliding on top of Cat, her cape settling over them like a blanket. She felt so good, it was sinful, and Cat knew she’d do almost anything to hold on to this, to her, to them.

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it when I show off, Ms. Grant,” Kara whispered knowingly in Cat’s ear, and Cat had to admit the coy superhero shtick was rather effective at turning her on.

“Perhaps I do,” Cat teased as Kara kissed her again, sweet and slow, before reluctantly withdrawing. 

“I’m a mess. I’m probably getting sand and dirt all over you.”

“You should take a shower.”

Kara nodded, but she looked reluctant to move, caught up in how good they felt together.

“Want some company?” Cat asked.

Kara smiled knowingly and kissed her again, wrapping an arm around Cat’s waist and effortlessly lifting her from the bed. “Thought you’d never ask.”

“Kara!” Cat huffed in indignation as Kara carried her toward the shower, but Kara was right. Cat did rather like it when her lover showed off.

****

Numb, Lucy leaned against the door to the SUV. She’d just stored the last of her things and was waiting on Alex to join her, simultaneously eager and reluctant to get moving. The idea of turning herself in for questioning made her feel complicit in some of her father’s crimes, and she wondered, not for the first time since this whole fiasco started, if she would have been had the Danvers sisters not come into her life. Alex and Kara had changed everything, saving her from a life Lucy didn’t want to imagine she had the capacity to live.

But two weeks ago, she would have thought her father didn’t have that capacity, either.

The impending confrontation between them made her feel sick, and a cold sweat erupted on her skin beneath her sweater and jacket. Lucy took a deep breath and released it slowly, determined to see this through. She might not get another shot, and she wanted to say her piece and move on. There was a beach, stars, and Alex in her future, and Lucy clung to the promise of that reward.

Alex stepped outside, and for a pleasant moment, Lucy imagined what the other woman might look like in a bikini. If that wasn’t motivation to get this crap over and done with, Lucy didn’t know what was. 

“What?” Alex asked, pausing on the steps and glancing down at herself when she saw Lucy staring.

“Nothing,” Lucy promised impishly.

Alex narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but she clomped down the remaining stairs and tossed a duffle bag into the back seat of the SUV.

“You own a bikini, Danvers?”

“A bik–” Alex gaped at her. “Why are you–?”

Lucy chuckled, enjoying the flattering blush that stole over Alex’s cheeks under the knit cap she wore against the cold. “It’s chilly out here. I was just thinking warm thoughts.”

“Me in a bikini is your warm thought?” 

“Mmm. I can feel my temperature rising just thinking about it.”

Alex’s blush got worse, but she smiled as she shook her head. 

“Feel free to imagine me in one,” Lucy said suggestively. “Or out of one. Whatever works.”

Alex’s eyes widened as her gaze swept over Lucy’s smaller frame. “Um… are you trying to distract me, Major?”

“No. Just reminding myself that I have something very much to look forward to when this is all over.”

“We both do.” Alex cleared her throat. “And wow. I suddenly don’t need this jacket.” She unzipped it and Lucy chuckled.

“Got everything?” Lucy asked, unable to contain a soft smile.

Alex nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose. She looked so tired, Lucy was amazed Alex was still on her feet. 

“Yeah. Just needed to check in with the lead agents. They’re nearly to Vegas.”

“We lose anyone?” Lucy asked quietly.

Alex shook her head. “All souls appear accounted for.”

Drifting closer, Lucy fisted her hands in Alex’s jacket. The air was cold and crisp, and she breathed it in, the leaves and the smoke from the chimney adding the perfect notes of fall. She was going to miss this, but a nice, warm beach would ease the pain. “Sounds like a good day, Director Danvers.”

Alex leaned into Lucy a little. “I’m going to be happy to hand that title back to you soon.”

Lucy wished she had Alex’s faith in that outcome. It was sweet, she mused, if a bit too optimistic. “You okay?”

“Tired,” Alex admitted. “Ready to have this over.” She reached up and gently caressed Lucy’s jaw. “You? You had to make a call I never wanted you to make today.”

Lucy swallowed but she nodded. “I did what I had to do.” Her conscience was surprisingly clean about the whole thing. She took that as a good sign that maybe, just maybe, she’d emerge stronger from all this.

“I froze. When I thought he was going to kill Kara, I…” She took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to give that order on your own father.”

“I’m not,” Lucy said and meant it. “Honestly, it… it was a relief to know I could do it. Does that make sense?”

Alex nodded. “You amaze me, you know that?”

It was Lucy’s turn to blush.

“I guess we should get going.” Alex sighed, clearly marshaling the last of her reserves. 

“Yeah.” But Lucy tugged Alex closer, kissing her thoroughly in the fall air. Alex melted into her, this proud, brave woman that left Lucy in awe sinking into her, and Lucy savored the moment, even if she had an ulterior motive for it. “I’m driving,” she whispered when they parted.

“I’m the one with the keys,” Alex pointed out.

“You sure about that?” Lucy winked and moved away, determined to give Alex the chance to rest for as long as possible.

Alex put her hands in her jacket pockets, fumbling around in them before she glared at Lucy over the roof of the car. “Oh… sneaky, Major.”

Lucy dangled the keys at her before she slipped inside and started the SUV. Alex got in a moment later, still glaring, but Lucy could see it was all for show.

“Lean back, Agent Danvers. You’re taking a nap. That’s my final order as director of the D.E.O.”

“We’ll see about that,” Alex grumbled, and Lucy wondered which part of her statement Alex meant.

Alex was asleep by the time they got to the interstate.

****

As the agents made plans for beer and entertainment after handing over their prisoners, Agent Patterson slipped away unnoticed. The others would become aware of his absence soon enough and raise an alarm, but he wasn’t terribly worried about that at this point. He picked up a cell phone off an officer’s desk, pocketing it without anyone noticing. Stepping into the men’s room, he checked to make sure it was clear before studying his reflection in the mirror.

Removing a small device out of his pocket, he made a few adjustments, and the D.E.O. agent disappeared, shimmering out of existence to momentarily reveal Sam Lane beneath the facade before his features were obscured once more. Now he looked like one of the officers in the bullpen. He’d walk right out the front door, borrow a squad car, and be on his way in moments. Lane hated aliens, but their tech certainly came in handy from time to time.

He made his getaway effortlessly, smiling at the clueless agents who thought they’d taken him down. Nothing would stop him from protecting his planet, his people. He’d deal with them later. 

Right now, Cat Grant and her pet alien were his focus. He’d use one to destroy the other. His only regret was that he couldn’t be in that little podunk prison miles away when Alex Danvers walked right into his trap.

By this time tomorrow, both Supergirl and her sister would be dead, and Superman would be dealt with soon enough. His losses had been heavy, but with the planet at stake, they were acceptable.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, posting this a little early for all you folks out on a snow day. ;)

The first glints of dawn made their way across the horizon. Kara took a deep breath as she hovered low over National City, taking in the view. Her cape fluttered softly in the wind as she waited on the new day to rise, for the sky to become awash in color. When National City woke, Supergirl would be back.

She’d missed this. Cat had teased her earlier about being eager to take to the skies, but Kara hadn’t been able to deny it. Considering she dropped Cat at CatCo before the sun was up, though, Kara didn’t think Cat had much to lord over her. They’d needed to get back to their lives, to making a difference. Even though they were excited to get back to work, they’d shared a quiet moment together on Cat’s balcony, kissing softly with a hint of heat and the promise of more later.

Alex’s ringtone sounded, jarring Kara out of her warm thoughts. She tapped the two-way in her ear. “Hey. You make it?”

The answer was a loud, sustained yawn, and Kara grinned. 

“Yeah,” Alex grumbled in a voice still thick with sleep, and Kara made a mental note to thank Lucy later for ensuring her sister got some much-needed rest. “Had to jump through more hoops than we wanted, but we’re pulling in now. Where are you?”

“Hovering at about two thousand feet.”

Alex snorted. 

“What better way to rub it in Lane’s face than to get back out here helping people? Cat gave Kara Danvers one more day off so Supergirl, and I quote, can ‘make a splash.’”

“Perks of sleeping with the boss.”

“Alex!”

Her sister chuckled, only to yawn again.  

“I dropped Cat off ten minutes ago at work. So far no one has tried to melt me out of the sky,” Kara muttered.

“Try and keep it that way. Susan make it home okay?”

“She’s at the hangar.”

“The D.E.O. hangar?”

“Yep. I used the healing device on her as soon as we landed. She’s good to go so she wanted to get back to work.”

“God, we’re all insane.”

“Pretty much,” Kara said with a flash of a smile that quickly faded. “Give Lucy a hug for me, okay? And if you need me, I’m there.”

“That was never in doubt, Kara.” Alex was quiet a moment. “Still got that funny feeling about all this?”

Kara swallowed. She hadn’t shared those fears with Cat, but she suspected Cat knew. They were all still on edge, and Kara wondered how long it would take before that went away, if it ever would. “Yeah,” Kara said. “Trying to ignore it.”

“Me too. I’ll call when I can, okay?”

“I love you, Alex.” Kara felt compelled to say it, almost superstitious about it now. After everything they’d been through, she would never take having Alex in her life for granted again. They would heal from all of this, but there were scars that would linger. This was one of them.

“I love you, too,” Alex promised, her voice warm and full of understanding.

****

The desert was dark, cold, and oppressively quiet as Lucy and Alex climbed out of their rental car. They’d hopped a chopper as far as Vegas, but finding someone to fly them out to such a remote area at this unholy hour had been impossible. Lucy had finally given up, figuring they could drive to the prison in the time it would take to sort through the red tape.

“You sure you’re up for this?” Alex asked as she tucked her phone back in her pocket. She shivered faintly as the first hints of dawn began breaking across the sky behind her, tugging her leather jacket closer to her chin.

Lucy smirked as Alex yawned into her fist. Alex had wound up sleeping almost the whole ride, and this groggy version of her was adorable. She would have paid good money to be in a big bed with the other woman right about now, cuddled together, warm and safe.

“No.” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest as Alex came around the vehicle to stand next to her. Despite everything, she enjoyed the way the first glimmers of sunlight began to tease the red highlights in Alex’s hair. “But the sooner I do it and turn myself in for questioning, the faster I can get on with my life.”

Alex stepped closer, cupping Lucy’s shoulders before running her hands down Lucy’s biceps and squeezing gently. “I’d give anything to spare you this. You know that right?”

Managing a smile, Lucy dipped her head and stared at the ground for a moment. God, she was falling hard for this woman, and Lucy was tempted to chuck it all and simply run away with her. It was only her stubborn sense of duty and the need to sever ties with the man who used to be her father that forced her to hold her ground. “I know.”

Alex kissed her then, soft and full of promise. “For what it’s worth, I am insanely impressed by you, Major.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, but the compliment improved her mood and helped settle her nerves. She could do this. With Alex at her side, Lucy could do anything. “Come on, let’s get this over with. I have a date with a pretty girl on the beach to look forward to.”

Their boots crunched on rock and sand as they headed inside. Alex paused just outside the door and glanced around, her brow furrowing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where’s our team?”

“Team?” 

“Five agents went with your father to keep an eye on him. They checked in a few hours ago, but…”

Lucy’s gaze swept the police SUVs in the lot, noting a military Humvee that sat quiet and empty off to the side. Fresh tension coiled between her shoulder blades as she looked at Alex in concern. “Think something’s up?”

Alex frowned, her mouth twisting slightly. “I think I’m being paranoid. Not like the MPs won’t be here any minute now, and your dad is secured and surrounded by cops.”

“But something’s bothering you,” Lucy noted, her faith in Alex’s instincts unshakable.

“Probably nothing. Let’s just keep our eyes open.” 

Hands on the butts of their weapons, they stepped inside the police station, nothing more than a cinder block square with minimal windows, but they relaxed marginally when an officer glanced up and smiled at them from behind the front desk.

“Directors Lane and Danvers?”

Lucy nodded.

“We’ve been expecting you. The president requested you have a moment to speak with the prisoner before you come in for questioning, Ma’am,” he said to Lucy.

“Where are the FBI agents?” Alex asked. They would have used their cover aliases for this.

The officer winced. “A few doors down grabbing breakfast to go. They’d hoped to be back before you arrived. We don’t got much open here as late as they rolled in last night. They were kinda starving.”

Lucy nodded but shot another glance at Alex. Were they being excessively paranoid, or was something actually off? She was losing the ability to tell after living in such a hyper-vigilant state as of late.

After badging through the front desk, they were led into the back where a few officers milled about a handful of desks across from three holding cells. Two of them were empty, but Lucy tensed when she spied her father in the last of them. He stood when he saw her, straightening in his BDUs, his eyes colder than she remembered when they met hers. Kara had done a number on him. His nose was broken and bandaged, both eyes blackened and swollen, and a fist-sized bruise was purpling on his jaw. Lucy thought she might feel sympathy for him, might even feel a twinge of love and loss, but staring into his eyes, she curiously felt nothing.

“You okay?” Alex asked, her hand warm on Lucy’s back as an officer came over to greet them, setting down a lock box for their weapons and handing them some paperwork to fill out. If looks could kill, Lucy suspected her father would have been incinerated on the spot the way Alex was glaring at him.

“No,” Lucy murmured. “But I will be.”

****

The first employees began to trickle in, a few nodding toward Cat in greeting when they found her working quietly as the sun began to filter into her office. It was amazing how many pieces of her empire fell apart without her there to hold them together for just a few damn days. Cat scowled at the reports she was reviewing, wondering if it was too early to start firing people.

Figuring she’d give them ten more minutes of false security, Cat picked up her phone and dialed Max’s number. No need to let him continue to sweat, even if the thought amused her.

“Up with the sun. I’m impressed,” Max answered, annoyingly chipper.

“Morning, Max,” Cat greeted silkily. 

“You’re calling me from CatCo, and there are already reports your girl is back in the skies over National City. Can I assume my services are no longer required?”

Cat hesitated, reluctant to give him the all clear. “For the moment.”

“Saw the number Supergirl did on Lane’s little secret bunker on the news this morning. I’m surprised she didn’t fling it into space.”

“I’m sure the thought crossed her mind, but that’s not really her style.”

“You still sound so cross with me, Cat. Why aren’t you celebrating? Lane’s been captured. His merry little band of misfits are likely being tossed in a deep hole as we speak. You no longer need me to catch your man. We can go back to being the best of friends.”

“Hmmm. I doubt that. But you’re right. For the moment, you’re in the clear.”

“So I won’t be seeing any tell-alls on the evening news?” Max needled.

“Not today.” Cat sighed. “But so help me, Max. If you do anything to harm Kara…”

“Supergirl is off-limits. Message received.”

“She better be. Kara might not have the heart to toss men like you and Lane into orbit, but I won’t hesitate to throw you into the fire and watch you burn. Understood?”

He was quiet a moment, and Cat enjoyed the visceral thrill at having frightened him. She wasn’t proud of it, but if it kept Kara safe, that was all that mattered.

“Understood,” Max said simply. “See you when I see you, Cat.” He hung up.

So did Cat. She took a deep breath and glanced toward the National City skyline, hoping to catch a glimpse of red and blue.

****

Max tossed his cellphone onto his desk, a deep scowl on his rugged features. He hated being under anyone’s thumb, even if that thumb was as pretty as Cat Grant’s.

But there was little help for it. He knew better than to challenge Cat. While her mind might not be as technically brilliant as his own, Cat’s intelligence in other matters was unparalleled. She’d do what she promised, and she had the capacity and reach to do it ruthlessly. No doubt Cat had plans in place should anything befall her as well. He was stuck.

Still, it was nice to feel wanted. Knowing he was the backup option for Cat Grant and Alex Danvers soothed his ego a bit. Too bad he hadn’t had the chance to see the elusive agent again. He’d rather been looking forward to it.

Reaching for his coffee, Max hesitated when his cellphone rang again. “I’m a popular boy this morning,” he murmured. He picked it up, frowning a little at a number he didn’t recognize. After a moment’s hesitation, he answered. “This is Lord.”

“Max,” a familiar voice greeted. “I’m in need of your resources, and you owe me. Several times over, in fact. Time to pay the piper.”

Jaw clenching, Max took a deep breath. Cold, bitter anger curled in his stomach. “Sam. I was wondering when you were going to turn up.”

****

After handing over her weapon, Lucy began to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Alex reached to snap off her own holster when her phone rang. With a sigh, she slipped it out of her back pocket and answered it without checking the ID. “Danvers.”

“Alex,” Max greeted, his tone tight. 

Resisting the urge to groan, Alex stepped away from the counter. “Called to gloat that you’re off the hook?”

“I would love nothing more, but I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Alex hesitated, switching her phone to her other ear as she turned and eyed Lane in the jail cell on the other side of the precinct. “And what would that be?”

“Sam Lane just called and wants to meet.”

Shock skittered up Alex’s spine, setting off a rush of adrenaline through her veins. Her fight or flight response activated, Alex’s gaze swept the room, assessing threat levels, ready to shoot or punch her way out if she had to get Lucy to safety. Willing her features to remain neutral, Alex reached out, putting her hand on Lucy’s shoulder to keep her from walking toward the cell. “What game are you playing?” she demanded.

“Game? You tell me. This is your plan, Alexandra.”

Alex stared at Lane, and he gazed back placidly. She took a slow, deep breath as Lucy gave her a questioning look. “I’ll call you back. I’m about to talk to General Lane right now.”

Max was quiet a moment. “He’s there with you?”

“At the prison, yes,” Alex said, waiting for Max to catch on.

“Alex… that’s not Lane.” Max actually sounded concerned.

“That seems likely,” Alex agreed, keeping her tone casual as she glanced around the room, pretending to twist a kink out of her lower back. The cops that had been there when they’d arrived were gone. Only the one remained, conveniently securing their weapons. “I need you to do something for me.”

“I’ll warn Cat,” Max muttered, “whom I assume will warn your darling sister.”

“That would be helpful.”

“Assuming you make it out of whatever trap you just walked into,” Max drawled, amused. “Maybe I should play the odds and all the women causing me so many headaches might be out of the way by the end of the day.”

“And if you roll the dice and lose, you’ll have to deal with me,” Alex vowed.

“Hmm. Well… life is more interesting with you in it, Alex. Best of luck. I guess we’ll be in touch… or not, depending on how things go.”

Alex hung up tucked her phone into her back pocket, her heart thudding in her ears. 

“That was Max?” Lucy asked as her pale green eyes searched Alex’s face, picking up on her change in mood. “What did he want?”

Sliding her gun out of her holster, Alex pretended like she was about to eject the clip. She smiled at the cop who looked a little too eager to accept her weapon. Studying him closely, Alex noted the outline of a thin Kevlar vest beneath his windbreaker. 

“If I’m wrong about this, I apologize,” Alex said with a polite smile, “but I don’t think I’m wrong.” Alex put two in his chest, sending him tumbling backward to the floor.

Lucy looked up at Alex in shock. 

“That’s not your dad.” Alex fished Lucy’s weapon out of the lock box and handed it back to her as the imposter came closer to the bars, wrapping his hands around them.

“What?” Lucy demanded, clearly confused. “Alex…”

“Do you trust me?” Alex gripped Lucy’s elbow, her gaze already searching for some place they could make a stand.

Lucy rapidly blinked a few times before nodding. “Now what?”

“We try to stay alive.”

****


End file.
